Open Forum

  • 1.  Shrek and the Dragon

    Posted 07-30-2014 09:56
    Hello all! We are contemplating Shrek as our musical this year and I'm wondering about some of the technical challenges. How did you all present the dragon? Did you rent, construct etc? How many people were needed for the puppet etc? I'll just open it up to others who have done the show anything else you might be inclined to share?... Things you learned? challenges you faced etc? Something you would have done differently? Thanks for the help. ------------------------------------------- Aileen Zeigler Omaha NE -------------------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Shrek and the Dragon

    Posted 07-30-2014 10:29
    First of all- what a great show!! Though challenging, the audience and kids really enjoy it! And there are so many solid ensemble opportunities for a large cast!

    The high school production I worked on chose to use a full body dragon, which was designed by one of the technical directors. The result was a combination of foam, hula-hoops, carefully draped fabric and willing puppeteers. The puppet itself looked FANTASTIC and really came to life with the addition of lighting effects. However, the decision to use a full bodied dragon puppet was something I might do differently with future productions. The stage at this particular high school offered plenty of space, but we still struggled with maneuvering the large puppet around the stage believably and easily. The chase scene became a real pain to block. 

     I also feel that the use of a full puppet diminishes the effect a bit. Even a large stage like ours couldn't accommodate a  puppet large enough to really tower over Shrek, Donkey and Fiona. I feel that it is often more effective when just the head is used, as I have seen in several other productions. With the right lighting and effects, the audience is able to imagine just how massive and scary this mythical beast is. 

    I hope this is helpful!

    -------------------------------------------
    Chelsey Cavender
    Membership Service Specialist
    Educational Theatre Association
    Hamilton OH
    -------------------------------------------


    Original Message


  • 3.  RE:Shrek and the Dragon

    Posted 07-30-2014 10:58
    Hi and yay for seeing someone from Omaha on here!

    We just did SHREK and it was so much fun! We loved the entire experience. It's a relatively easy show musically speaking but the tech for SHREK and a few little things can be tricky. We sold out every night but we always sell out so it's hard to gauge that. My PRINCIPAL raved about it which he does not usually do so I think it has a lot of universal appeal.

    I do have a gorgeous dragon custom built by the lovely and talented TRISH PLACE who is a professional puppeteer. I also have some props I would throw in with the dragon. Message me if you are interested.

    Good luck!!!

    -------------------------------------------
    Molly Grasso
    Nebraska
    Papillion-LaVista H.S.
    Papillion NE
    -------------------------------------------



    Sent via Higher Logic Mobile



    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Shrek and the Dragon

    Posted 07-30-2014 11:22
    Hi Aileen,
    We just finished Shrek this past spring. It is a great show.
    I cast 4 girls as the dragon, used a full dragon mask (rubber) mounted on a bike helmet which one girl wore (so she was very tall and in heels), and she was flanked by the others each a wing with chiffon on a stick, and a tail (actually stuffed spandex which was about 8 feet long) so it could be whipped around. Choreography kept them very close together at all times. The head was the lead singer and the others sang harmonies. It worked really well especially in tight spaces and during the chase scene.
    I would recommend buying yellow wigs early on for the dulocians as they were hard to find -- we had 20
    I used to work for Muppets here in New York, so I built the large head for the announcer and Pinocchio's nose that grew. 
    We also used knit caps for the ogres and some fun spotted makeup for them instead of full out prosthetics. It made the fast changes easier, and was easier on the actors.
    Using scrims for the barn scene and for the end of act 1 is a must.
    We had a ball working on this show -- over 200 middle schoolers when you include full orchestra, ushers, techies, and a cast of 50.
    Good luck

    -------------------------------------------
    Ron Wells
    Lawton C Johnson Summit Middle School
    Summit, NJ
    -------------------------------------------


    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Shrek and the Dragon

    Posted 07-30-2014 12:31
    I love using Chinese dragons on stage.  When I've constructed them, we use hula hoops instead of sticks, so that the fabric keeps that rounded shape.  There is great blocking potential in the shapes and levels with the dragon when different people are in different positions with their hoops.  When students are the dragon, I had them dress in all black.  I attached some photos, even though they are not from "Shrek." 

    -------------------------------------------
    Jessica Harms
    Tewksbury Memorial High School
    Tewksbury MA
    -------------------------------------------


    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Shrek and the Dragon

    Posted 08-01-2014 22:34
    We produced Shrek in June and had a great time with this show. It is much more difficult than it appears. Plan ahead and leave time to experiment with the Shrek makeup (you will need to experiment with earhole size if you use a full headpiece). It is a large set and costume show and you will either need to rent or make the small puppets. We rented the Dragon (see picture). I had my heart set on using my Dragon voice as the lead puppeteer, but the weight of the pole had to rest on her diaphragm so I used four strong puppeteers. They spent time with the Dragon designer and extra time with the choreographer. This job is a hybrid of performer and technician and they should be carefully selected. Shrek is one of those shows that appeals to audiences 3-grandparents so it is huge draw. ------------------------------------------- Krista Carson Elhai California Claremont CA -------------------------------------------
    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Shrek and the Dragon

    Posted 07-31-2014 11:23
    I rented the dragon from Jeff Holub.  It is large and requires a strong center to hold it.  It allowed me to use more students on stage and the audience loved it!  She is pretty but still looks mean like a dragon should when chasing an individual.  Our singer controlled the mouth and I had 5 on the dragon and an alternate as needed.  Blocking is a challenge for this scene.

    I found the show fun but almost as difficult as Beauty and the Beast costume-wise and there are expectations the audience comes in with.

    I have costumes and chose not to use bald caps for the leads.  Please email me at nicole.morgan@springbranchisd.com for pictures if you are interested.

    -------------------------------------------
    Nicole Morgan
    Director of Theatre
    Spring Branch ISD
    Houston TX
    -------------------------------------------


    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Shrek and the Dragon

    Posted 08-01-2014 07:02
    Also wanted to say that I have pic of some of our costumes, make up etc on Pinterest: LHS Playmakers. Also feel free to contact me at dixonh@luhsd.net if you have questions about anything else. helen ------------------------------------------- Helen Dixon Oakley CA -------------------------------------------
    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Shrek and the Dragon

    Posted 08-01-2014 07:02
    Firs of all, you will have a ball. It is a fun show with a fun score and a great message. And it is loved by people of all ages! I have attached a couple of pictures of our dragon. We had an actress play the role with a mask and a flashy costume in red/purple/magenta. Three other actresses were in complimentary costumes. Two portrayed the wings and a third (who can't be seen in the pics) manipulated the 12 foot tail. The actress who played the dragon also had makeup on and we hid a small LED light under the mask so her face would show. The mask was made so the actress could manipulate the eyelids so the mask could wink at Donkey. ------------------------------------------- Helen Dixon Oakley CA -------------------------------------------
    Original Message