A LETTER FROM JESSE AND KIM
Thank you for attending tonight’s production of Shrek the Musical! It is truly a privilege to work with your children every day. Our job is to support and encourage them.
Thank you to all of the volunteers of Vocal Arts Parent Organization for their countless hours ushering, costuming and costume repair, alterations, ticket and ad sales, social media presence, scholarships and unending support.
Thank you to everyone in the production staff. They have worked tirelessly throughout that lead-up to tonight. It is a pleasure to work with such dedicated and talented artistic professionals.
"Once upon a time, there was a little ogre named Shrek...." And thus begins the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits and you've got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there's one on hand... and his name is Shrek.
Well. No wonder we like these characters so much. They are us, right? Every imperfection, every insecurity, every secret fear that we hide deep inside, we see it all in these characters as they struggle with identity and purpose and status and direction in life. The fairy tales we grow up with may teach lessons of ethics and morality, but were never intended to show us alternate paths—in fact, they made it quite clear that deviating from the usual path would lead right to the mouth of a hungry wolf. So, how refreshing—how validating—to find a story that encourages non-traditional thinking.
Our story book creatures sing a rousing anthem in Act II which perfectly sums up this concept. The term “Freak Flag” can be traced to the counter-culture of the late 1960’s, but in our context, it’s less about revolution than it is about evolution. It’s about looking inside yourself for answers instead of blindly believing in the stereotypes perpetuated by tradition and society. It’s about trusting your instincts. It’s about believing in your worth as an individual, unique and flawed and gloriously open to growth and change.
All of us have bold and brand-new stories to be told. Be brave enough to tell them. Be brave enough to look inside—you may be surprised at what you find there.
This event is made possible by adults who believe in students. Now those adults have a chance to witness what that belief can inspire. We thank each and every one of you for your support of the arts in the Cleveland Heights/University Heights City School District.
Tonight your children have shared their commitment to their art.
Jesse & Kim
