I recently had a chance to perform in “Shrek the Musical” at the Scera Center for the Arts in Orem, Utah. I played Papa Ogre and the King (voice and puppeteer), Papa Bear, and the dragon (puppeteer).

Besides being in the cast, I also got to do a little tech work. For “Big Bright Beautiful World,” we did the two sets of parents—Papa and Mama Ogre, the king and queen—as puppets. I did some major work to what they gave us, adding arms and hands and costumes to basic Kermit-the-Frog designs. I also designed and painted the “Freak Flag,” which we ended up signing and giving to our director as a gift at the end of the run.

It was a mixed experience. Much of the cast was extremely cliquish. I was at least 20 years older than the next-oldest cast member. Some of my fellow freaks were, quite frankly, hard to put up with. The level of maturity was really sad, considering that they were supposed to be young adults.

However, I made a few good friends and enjoyed the show itself. Here is a highlight reel from “Shrek the Musical”:

Addendum: I did another Freak Flag when my daughter played Teen Fiona in a production of “Shrek the Musical” in Riverton.