WAYNESBORO – The Boro is swamped with pride over this weekend’s Waynesboro Children’s Theatre Troupe production of “Shrek the Musical.” Don’t miss your chance to catch the closing Sunday Dec. 7, 2 p.m. matinee.
This season marks the Troupe’s 30-year anniversary, celebrating “Shrek” as the 29th show, missing only one season in 2020, due to the pandemic. Director Stephen Kulla has been at the helm for every one of those shows.
Harboring a love for theater dating back to high school, Kulla founded his first children’s theatre troupe in his Colgate University college town of Hamilton, New York. With a lack of activities for youth in the small town, he set about creating opportunities for development and growth through the arts – a tradition he carried over to Waynesboro, Pennsylvania in 1995. Kulla said, “The main goal of the Troupe is [to have] fun!”
Kulla followed the arts adage, don’t give up your day job! His is no slouch of a career. He is the founding partner of Kulla, Barkdoll & Stewart, P.C., Attorneys at Law, also a sponsor company of the show.
Now that we’ve established Kulla’s indomitable entrepreneurial spirit, let’s address the feat of organizing a cast of over 80 children, ranging in age from 5-18. WCTT has honored a practice of full inclusion. “If you’re in age range and you audition, you get cast,” Kulla noted, with additional sensitivity that all children appear in both acts.
This is more than theater. WCTT is a pillar of the Waynesboro arts community. Generations of family have put their hands, hearts and talent to work to make WCTT an enduring success. Kulla’s two youngest children and three of his grandchildren have performed with the Troupe.
Now roll up your trousers, we’re headed into the swamp!
Watch out for the cows. Yes, you heard that right. WCTT has a charming tradition of incorporating cows into every production, a wink to theater alumni and supporters in the know. This year, keep count of the bovine appearances by Christian Garner, Riley Haynie, Adilynn Helmann, and Olivia Jack.
Two (of four) signature cows join the Dulocians along with one service dog
You can count on majestic backdrops that feel like the stuff of old school Broadway or Hollywood. The stage technology is basic and homespun and lends nostalgia for a simpler era of imagination, before AI took root.
Dominic Kipe steps into the limelight in a roaring success as Shrek, a grumpy ogre oaf in need of love, and lamenting the invasion of his swamp by fairy-tale creatures. Kipe strikes the right chord between gruff humor, yearning, and loveable vulnerability in a performance as thoughtful as it is funny.
Kipe takes the lead
Family values are in the spotlight in a town that produces an abundance of artistic talent, backed by phenomenally devoted parents and family who have made support of the theater a lifestyle. Many have logged over a decade of devotion to WCTT. Kipe’s mother, Nicole Sanders, served as rehearsal assistant for “Shrek,” marking her seventh WCTT production.
Kipe’s cousin, Evan Forberger, kicks in with the companion role of Donkey, bringing much of his family along with him. His sister Wren plays in the orchestra, his father, Brian, joined the set crew, and his mother, Heather, worked in props, in addition to doing Donkey’s makeup. She said, “It takes about an hour every time!”
Evan Forberger as Donkey
Forberger is awesome as the full throttle attitude ass, dishing kid-safe expletives like, “Mother Hubbard, that hurt!”
The talented Kipe-Forberger cousin duo brew with chemistry and a well-earned place on the stage as hard-working actors who have made a serious commitment to vocal and actor training outside of their growing list of stage productions.
Forberger and Kipe make a solid team
The princess in a predicament, Fiona, is played by both Chloe Shacreaw and Ginger Moore. Veterans of the Troupe, these two are accustomed to crafting star performances, and this show is no exception. They alternate playing Princess Fiona and her green ogress counter-self, fantastically proving the power and pitch of their pipes.
Shacreaw seizes the spotlight as Fiona
Moore as Fiona is at home playing a leading lady
Little Girl Fiona is played by Lena Patterson. Cursed to be an ogre by night and human by day, Fiona’s parents fatefully follow the advice of Fairy Godmother and lock Fiona in a tower for safekeeping at the age of seven. In a nod to princess tropes, her only hope to break the curse is to experience true love’s kiss.
Young Fiona is split between four actresses, with a different one appearing in each performance, including Amelia Carroll, Marcie Hellmann, Madelyn Kemp, and Peyton Eyer.
Teen Fiona is played by different performers for each show, including Ella Kemp, Alvia Martz, and Annie Policicchio.
“I Know It’s Today,” combines the Fionas of all ages in a satirical contemplation of universal princess stories, filling time and diary entries as they await saving from Prince Charming … no cliché there.
“There’s a princess in a coma, glad it’s her instead of me
Pretty maiden in a glass box, how I wonder, does she pee?
Shacreaw as Fiona, kept company by a cameo cow
Many knights have attempted to free Fiona, but all have met the peril of Dragon, a fire-breathing guardian played by Maycie Bitner. With disco diva worthiness, Bitner belts “Forever,” revealing that her hots for Donkey may burn as fiery as her tongue.
Bitner as Dragon
Donkey professes, “I like a big girl,” echoed by a chorus of backup vocalist knights in one of the most amusing numbers in the show, featuring the scalded egos of failed knights Lorelei Hepler, Brenna Hollingsworth, Ginger Moore, Molly Pagliaro, Bridget Rhine, Noah Robinson, and Leilani Semeatu.
Forberger as Donkey loves ‘em large
This is a tale of failed expectations, love, resiliency, courage, and learning to accept alternative happy endings.
Kipe as Shrek rescues Moore as Fiona … not the Prince Charming she expected
Lord Farquaad of Duloc, an extremist power-seeking twit, is played to detestable delight by Robert Bond, who presents as an even bigger fart than his character’s name sounds. In his opening musical number, “What’s Up Duloc?,” Farquaad sings a theme-park-glossy-welcome to his kingdom, where he has cast out all the freakish fairytale creatures, leaving them unhomed in Shrek’s swamp.
Bond as Farquaad has a plastic fantastic hunger for perfection
A fellow of exceedingly small stature in both height and integrity, Farquaad seeks to marry Princess Fiona with interest in acquiring the crown of a king, with zero regard for the love of a queen.
The citizens of Duloc look like adorable teddy bears in their yellow pom-pom hats and uniform attire, but there’s nothing authentically sunny in their view of Farquaad or their sadness, masked as obedience.
Uniformity is the name of the game in Duloc
Shrek may be unhappy with the overload of cute storybook characters in his swampland, but they are enchantment personified for the audience.
Alyssa Vulgamott plays Pinocchio in an imaginative costume creation of puppet likeness, taking the solo spotlight in “Story Of My Life.” Pinocchio, struggling with deluded reality, exclaims “I am not a puppet. I’m a real boy!” in a self-affirming statement throughout the show.
Vulgamott as Pinocchio
Iconic storybook characters abound, including Jake Daly as Peter Pan, Ivy Stewart as Tinkerbell, and Silas Wahl as Captain Hook.
The Seven Dwarfs are played by Aria Elgin (Sleepy), Meredith Hellmann (Dopey), Elias Wahl (Bashful), Ryker Wetzel (Sneezy), Creidan Yost (Grumpy), and two other small folk represented on stage, who seem to be missing from the program.
Lucy Bizarri fills Puss’s Boots and Madelyn Kemp flaps the wings of the Ugly Duckling.
Maycie Bitner as Mad Hatter and Bridget Rhine as the White Rabbit hopped down the wrong hole to land in this swampy Wonderland.
Rhine lands in curiouser and curiouser company
Farquaad has even evicted the Three Little Bears from their cozy just right home, with Goldilocks played by Althea Pearson, Noah Robinson as Papa Bear, Ella Kemp as Mama Bear, and Navy Morton as Baby of the bear bunch.
As The Three Little Bears are sent packing, they encounter Pinocchio
Molly Pagliaro plays the Pied Piper with a rat following played by Aria Elgin, Louis Healey, Gloria Kelly, Alivia Martz, Elias Wahl, and Silas Wahl.
Stella Pearson plays Red Riding Hood to Giovanna McCarter’s Wolf.
McCarter, smug as Wolf.
The character parade continues, with Marcie Hellmann as Elf, Gloria Kelly peeking out from under Gnome’s hat, Autumn Lewis as Sugar Plum Fairy, and Alvia Martz as the Wicked Witch.
Brenna Hollingsworth plays Gingy, a hilarious gingerbread person who faces banishment to the swamp for refusing to squeal on Fiona’s hidden location.
Hollingsworth as Gingy
And speaking of squealers, Lucy Bizzarri, Naomi Gress, and Annie Policicchio have no difficulty greasing the audience’s laughter as the Three Little Pigs.
Bizarri, Gress and Policicchio make sweet swine
We’ve established the cows, so of course there has to be a Moon, played by Ryker Wetzel; a Dish, played by Stella Pearson; and a Spoon, played by Althea Pearson.
It seems Humpty Dumpty, played by Amelia Carroll, has fallen right out of the nursery rhyme, knocking a few classic fairy tales off the shelf on the way down.
Lena Patterson portrays Princess, in good company with Libby Mayne as Fairy Godmother.
There are a host of animal players, including the four birds who accompany Fiona after she is freed from her tower prison and she sings “Morning Person” in her newfound liberation. The creatively costumed fowl are played by Jake Daly, Meredith Hellmann, Madelyn Kemp, and Liam Reynolds.
All bright and beaky
In a lament of their broken childhoods and abandonment issues, Fiona and Shrek engage in a competitive pity party in the hilarious “I Think I Got You Beat,” forging a rocking connection, culminating in burp and fart one upmanship that seals their match potential.
Kipe as Shrek and Shacreaw as Fiona don’t skip a beat
Farquaad plots his nefarious plans for his marriage to Princess Fiona in Bond’s strongest solo number, “The Ballad of Farquaad.”
Bond bursts into ballad as Farquaad
Forberger, also known as rap artist MINI VAN in real life, drops the beats as Donkey in “Make a Move,” with Blind Mice backup singers, played by Maycie Bitner, Zoe Bowersox, Kayla Bushneck, Peyton Eyer, Ella Kemp, Giavanna McCarter, Navy Morton, Annie Policicchio, and Alyssa Vulgamott.
Donkey busts the beats with his blind entourage
WCTT boasts a production scale of set and costumery on a level rare for community theater.
Set Designer Troy Rhine lends a genius interpretation of a sunflower field, unconventionally utilizing band hats and the pit orchestra to set the space for Shrek to contemplate his stirring feelings through the touching solo, “When Words Fail.”
Kipe proves even ogres have a soft side
Kipe unleashes crushing vulnerability, powerful enough to break through every layer of makeup and costuming, revealing the delicate nature of an ogre’s heart. Developing his social sensibilities, Shrek’s romanticism starts with a sunflower and extends all the way to “s’nothers,” his version of mulch and squirrel gizzard s’mores.
Nothing says “I like you” like squirrel guts
This is a tale of hard-won hope, coming to terms with your true self, reflected both outside-in and inside-out.
The storybook characters debate summoning the courage to revolt and claim ownership of their freakish attributes in “Let Your Freak Flag Fly!” Farquaad, upon being declared a freak, pompously responds, “I’m not a freak, I have a castle.”
Freak flag pride
A wedding day arrives, like a powder keg of misgivings, visited by fire-breathing Dragon, who threatens at least one happy ending.
Farquaad fancies a royal wedding with Moore as Fiona
Nightfall brings a transformative plot twist.
Moore as ogress, Fiona
Will courage and truth prevail? Is there really anything to true love’s kiss?
You have one more show to find out.
Kipe is good in green
Wear your dancing shoes, because “Shrek” has an irresistibly danceable curtain call, so get on your feet and become a believer!
Several of WCTT’s Annual Awards will be presented following each show, including the Sue Shetter Role of Distinction, Mariana Krawczak Memorial “Stepping it up” Award, Melody Gober Most Improved, Angie Minnick Perseverance Award, Janet Smedly Performer of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Director’s Award.
The first-place t-shirt design win goes to Maycie Bitner:
This year’s second place artist, Evan Forberger, won prime presentation on the program cover:
Third place artist, Olivia Adams, has her art displayed as the back program cover:
And Deb Geis takes the win for stage crew design:
WCTT’s production is directed by Steve Kulla, with Cindy Martin as musical director, and Sophi Fleagle keeping all 80-plus kids on their toes as choreographer. Pit Orchestra Director Patrick McNamee conducts.
Set Design and Construction Director Troy Rhine makes large-scale contributions to a set illuminated by Kevin Geis’ light design.
Costume Directors Melody Bentz and Kiersten Pruett make commendable contributions with some original design (Dragon, dwarves, gnome and more) blended with rentals.
Makeup Design by Morgan Huckaby is no small undertaking and deserves special applause.
An incredibly hard-working 40-person production team is behind the scenes, making this stage magic a reality.
“Shrek the Musical ” is based on the DreamWorks animated film and William Steig’s book. Lyrics were written by Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winner, David Lindsay-Abaire. The show features music by Jeanine Tesori, writer of four Broadway Tony-nominated scores.
“Shrek the Musical” opened on Broadway in December 2008 at the Broadway Theatre, with a budget of around $25 million, making it one of the most expensive musicals ever produced at its time. Despite being nominated for 8 Tony Awards and achieving fan approval, the production failed to recoup its investment and concluded a relatively short run in January 2010. The ogre lived on in national tours and 715 performances in London’s West End and continues to be loved in professional and community theaters alike.
WCTT’s “Shrek” opened on Thursday, Nov. 4,with shows Saturday, Dec. 6, at noon and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m. at the Waynesboro Area High School, in the Oyer Auditorium, 550 E. Main St., Waynesboro, PA, 17268.
Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.WCTT.org/tickets and at the door. Tickets are $12., plus a $2.10 processing fee and are not refundable or exchangeable. The box office opens one hour prior to curtain call. Tickets are cash only and general admission. Online sales end three hours prior to show and allow seat selection.
Keep coming back! In 2026, WCTT invites you to join them under the sea with “The Little Mermaid.”
Photo Credit: Lexi Bowie, Doodlebug Photography
