Not Easy Being Green

‘Shrek’ a challenge for RLT volunteers

Shrek is an ogre -- big round head, funny little trumpet-shaped ears, bouncing belly. Oh, and he's green.

There is also Fiona, in all of her human and ogress glory.

FAQ

‘Shrek: The Musical’

WHEN — 8 p.m. today & Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday; again July 20-Aug. 2 and Aug. 6-9

WHERE — Rogers Little Theater, 116 S. Second St. in Rogers

COST — $17-$60

INFO — 631-8988

Donkey is, of course, gray and furry. He has hooves. And big ears.

Pinocchio is wood -- with a nose that stretches outward when he lies.

There are Three Little Pigs, an Ugly Duckling, Mama Bear, a Sugar Plum Fairy, Puss in Boots, the Pied Piper -- and a giant egg who might not be the only one cracked around Rogers Little Theater these days.

Most everyone attending "Shrek: The Musical" knows each of the characters down to last eyelash on the beautifully terrifying Dragon's lovely eyes. So how does a community theater company bring them to life?

It takes a canon of costumes, a crucible of cooperation, a wagonload of wigs, a lot of latex, makeup and more makeup. And two dedicated volunteers who want the characters to look as perfect as the actors' performances.

"They've put so much work into it, we can't settle for anything less," says Jennifer McClory, who is partnering with Randall Lothes to create the hair, makeup and prosthetics for "Shrek."

"There are 'Shrek wrecks' out there," she adds when asked about amateur productions.

"We want to match -- as close as we can -- a perfect Broadway experience," Lothes says.

The work started the moment director Ed McClure cast the show five weeks ago. As costume coordinator, McClory took measurements and costumes were rented from the Theater Company of Upland, Calif.

But before those costumes could even be shipped to RLT, McClory and Lothes were hard at work, researching what makes each character's look iconic.

McClure didn't make their jobs any easier. Instead of casting "happy villagers," fairy tale creatures, guards, Dulocs and knights, he chose 23 of the very best from the 60-plus actors who auditioned for the show.

"It would have been really easy to cast separate groups," he says, "but I approached it like a cheap Broadway producer," getting the most he could out of the "bare minimum. And believe me, 23 is bare minimum" to play the 53 characters in the show. "This way, everybody gets a featured solo, and nobody stands around waiting."

It means McClure has an ensemble that includes the leads from "Fiddler on the Roof," "Oliver" and "The Sound of Music."

But it also means that in addition to singing, dancing and acting, it takes the "Shrek" village to make the costume changes required. For example, Esther Atkinson, who plays a happy villager, an elf and a Duloc, has "exactly seven minutes" to be transformed into Fiona as an ogress on her wedding day, white dress and all. Happy villagers have less than five minutes to become fairy tale creatures -- including Humpty Dumpty in his egg and Pinocchio with his extendable nose.

Donkey doesn't have to change -- but it takes 45 minutes to an hour every day to get Ty Volz into makeup. "And we have to water him," McClory adds. "We have to keep a bottle of Gatorade ready" throughout the performance to hydrate the actor in the fur suit.

And then there's Shrek, played by Jordan Payne.

Acquiring the headpiece for Shrek would have gone far beyond RLT's budget, Lothes says, "so we started with half-inch foam, then sheet latex and more latex," airbrushing each stage in nude and then in Shrek green -- which McClory says is "lime green with a dab of forest green."

"His prosthetics take an least an hour and a half every night," Lothes adds.

If it seems like everyone involved in "Shrek" has given 110 percent, it's because the musical -- which ends RLT's 29th season -- is also the end of an era. When "Cabaret" opens the 30th season in September, the company will be known as Arkansas Public Theatre at the Victory.

"When people buy their tickets, they should know, this goes far beyond the stage," Lothes says. "This comes from deep in the hearts of the actors and technicians. This is the end -- and the beginning of a brilliant new era here."

NAN What's Up on 07/24/2015

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