Felix Unger and Oscar Madison. Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne. Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett. In cinema, Hollywood has been doing buddy movies for decades. But there’s nothing like Shrek and Donkey.
Gavin Ott plays Shrek, an abrasive ogre who’s lived alone in a swamp since he was 7. The last thing he wants on his journey to Castle Farquaad is company. Then he runs into Donkey.
“Donkey is a character, to sum it up,” said Gavin in character, speaking as Shrek. “He's loud. He's annoying. But he's also kind and friendly. He knows how to push his friends around and he knows what's best for them. And Shrek loves him for it.”
Donkey knows know who he is and embraces his quirky personality traits.
“I am like 5 in the head,” said Vann, in character, speaking as Donkey. “I run around. I scream. I have fun. I get scared. I make friendships, try to get my friends back no matter what. It's just about family and being yourself at the end of the day. Same with Shrek. Same with me.”
Even though it’s filled with ogres, witches and storybook characters, there’s a serious side to this musical, namely, we’ll be much happier if we accept people for who they are rather than shunning them because they’re not what we expect them to be.
“Look. He is an ogre,” Vann continued in his best Donkey diction. “I am a talking donkey. I do not have very much room to judge. If I'm going to mind me saying, I am a freak of nature and so is he. That's why we're besties.”
Kids naturally relate to this theme. It’s one reason they love Shrek.
“Shrek is a staple hood of childhood,” said Vann. They're going to go on and see a giant green man sing. They're going to see a talking horse. Well, it's a donkey, but all I know is we're going to have some fun.”
MORE INFORMATION:
Gavin Ott is a Southwest Florida stage actor who has appeared in numerous productions at The Belle Theatre, Cultural Park Theatre and Gulfshore Playhouse.
“Shrek is my first big starring role,” he said.
His credits include “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Grease,” “Annie,” Colonel Mustard in “Clue” (Gulfshore Playhouse), “Chicago,” Ariel Moore’s abusive bad guy boyfriend Chuck Cranston in “Footloose” for Cultural Park Theatre, Jean-Michel in “Cinderella” for The Belle Theatre.
Kagan Vann has also appeared in numerous roles at various Lee County community theaters. His credits include Robert Martin in “The Drowsy Chaperone,” Rocky in “The Rocky Horror Show” for Fort Myers Theatre (twice), the role of Lumiere for Fort Myers Theater in “Beauty and the Beast,” Ferdinand in Lab Theater’s production of “The Tempest,” deranged King Charlemagne in “Pippin,” Jafar in “Aladdin” and Shrek in “Shrek the Musical.”
The cast of “Shrek the Musical” also includes Candace Moore in the role of Princess Fiona, Abraham Guerra as Farquaad/King Harold, Brittany Ringsdore as the Dragon (and Bluebird), Lauren Perry as Gingy/Sugar Plum Fairy/Rat/Blind Mouse, Brendan Broyles as Pinocchio and Olivia Walsh as the Wicked Witch/Queen Lillian/Antelope/Dragonette.
Other cast members are:
- Ian Gatesman: Pig 2/Guard/Bishop
- Becky Gatesman: Pig 3
- Isla Gatesman: Pig 1/Spoon/Wedding Choir
- Keira Hurst: White Rabbit/Duloc
- Sydney Butler: Ugly Duckling/Blind Mouse/Rat/Dragonette/Words Dancer/Mob/Duloc
- Carolina Guerra: Mama Bear
- Eliana Guerra: Baby Bear/Duloc
- Joshua Guerra: Young Shrek/ Papa Bear/Gurad/Deer Puppet
- Joshua Potter: Mad Hatter/Captain/Mob/Rat/Farquaad Dancer
- Lauren Plank: Humpty Dumpty/Rat/Duloc/Mob/Words Dancer
- Emily French: Elf/Mob/Duloc/Dragonette
- Ainsley York: Blind Mouse/Rat/Duloc/Words Dancer/Puss in Boots/Wedding Choir
- Cole Edwards: Peter Pan/Knight 4/Farquaad Dancer/Rat/Donkey Understudy
- Jackson Potter: Papa Ogre/Big Bad Wolf/Guard/Farquaad Dancer
- Brenna Perry: Young Fiona/Tree/Words Dancer/Wedding Choir
- Sofia Guerra: Teen Fiona/Mob/Tree/Wedding Choir
- Abigail Romine: Mama Ogre/Tree/Duloc/Dragonette/Rat/Wedding Choir
- Nathaniel Mulvaney: Mob/Guard/Duloc/Knight 3/Rat/Thelonius/Farquaad Dancer
- Kieran McKinney: Pier Piper/Duloc/Knight1/ Guard/Farquaad Dancer/Mob
- Gianna Randall: Fairy Godmother/Dragonette/Duloc/Words Dancer/Fiona Understudy
- Asher Edwards: Rat/Knight 2/ Guard/Duloc/Farquaad Dancer/Mob/Grumpy
- Emily Ferren: Bunny/Wedding Choir/Mob
- Eva Moore: Wedding Choir/Dish/Mob/Tree
- Carla DeLeon: Cow/Wedding Choir/Tree/Mob
- Ava Drury: Mob/Captain Hook/Greeter/Announcer/Duloc/Dragonette and Rat
Robin Dawn Ryan directs and choreographs.
Allison Lund is stage manager.
This week’s performances are Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
For tickets, visit https://ftmyerstheatre.com/#smtx-click or telephone 239-323-6570.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
