Harry S. Truman High School’s inaugural musical theatre summer camp debuts Shrek the Musical Kids on July 24.
After roughly 24 hours of rehearsals — according to drama director Tracey Gatte — the cast held a dress rehearsal two days early on July 22 for Bristol Township’s extended school year program.
“It’s been an amazing opportunity to offer something,” Gatte said. “There’s no additional cost to anyone.”
Cast members — comprised of rising seventh, eighth and ninth grade Bristol Township students — began to arrive before the camp start time of 9 a.m. Snow white, played by Kyleigh Pentony, waits for her time for a mic check on stage.
Harry S. Truman High School’s auditorium holds 799. For Friday’s performance of the musical, there have been 689 tickets reserved.
The cast’s wigs sit ready for the rehearsal on styrofoam mannequins around the stage.
Kristen Winebrenner serves as vocal director for the Truman drama program. She helps the students get into costume for the performance.
Calvin Hargrove plays the titular role of Shrek in the production.
Gio Pasini does the makeup for the musical, transforming Hargove into an ogre for the performance. According to the 12-year-old, getting airbrushed on his face “feels like a blanket.”
Tracey Gatte has worked at Truman for 27 years. The middle school used to have a drama program, but it does not anymore. She thought this summer camp would be a way to get younger students involved in theatre.
Truman’s theatre program is nationally regarded — recognized as an outstanding school by The Educational Theatre Association in 2020 — and has debuted multiple broadway shows at the high school level, including Kinky Boots in 2019.
Before the performance, students — led by Winebrenner — warm up in a room near the auditorium.
Throughout the show crew members move scenery into place.
Christopher Gotz (left) and Joseph Nguyen (right) work on the crew for the production. Gotz — who runs the show’s music — will be going into junior year at Truman next year, while Nguyen — Shrek’s sound engineer — graduated in June and will be going to college.
Gotz turns pages of the musical’s sheet music.
While Pasini did not have to rush through turning Hargove into Shrek, Fiona — played by Damiwa Olakanmi — needed a much faster transformation. The makeup artist only had minutes to turn Olakanmi from Fiona’s human form, into the green-skinned ogre seen at the end of the show.
With only three weeks of three day sessions — and accounting for lunch — Gatte said that the students only had about 24 hours of rehearsals. Even with limited time to practice, the show went off without a hitch.
After taking their bows, the cast conga lined off-stage.
Tickets for Friday’s one night only performance are free. However reservations for the musical must be made online and are limited, with only 90 tickets left until the show is sold out.
