Joliet Catholic Academy Presents Shrek the Musical

Take a trek through the land of fairy tales as the Joliet Catholic Academy Drama Club presents Shrek The Musical!

The production will debut on Thursday, March 13, and run through Saturday, March 15, at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre, located at 201 W. Jefferson St. in Joliet.

Showings will be at 7 p.m. March 13, March 14, and March 15, with an additional matinee performance at 1 p.m. on March 15. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased online at https://cur8.com/projects/JCA.

Shrek the Musical features more than 25 student talents on and off stage. Rehearsals four days a week at JCA allowed the students to learn the basic staging of the production, but the Bicentennial Theatre required alterations to scenes and numbers due to its size.

“I have always admired our students’ flexibility to change scenes and dances once we get to the theatre,” said JCA Drama Assistant Director Tim Vollmer. “While many schools begin rehearsals where they will eventually perform, our students need to be ready to adapt to a new space and new staging, sometimes only days before the production.”

JCA Drama Director Jennifer Szynal praised the students' work and talent. “Musicals are a larger type of theatrical production because they involve music, dance, acting, and singing,” she said. “Musicals that are fantasy-based are even more demanding due to the nature of developing an imaginary world. Our Angels and Hillmen have dedicated a great deal of time to helping bring the world of Shrek to life. But I am most proud of how they connect the story to their everyday lives. The greatest challenge is making sure the audience recognizes the deeper themes of the musical. Shrek is about accepting people for who they are and most importantly accepting yourself enough to break down your inner walls. You can’t judge a book by its cover, you have to open it up and read it to truly understand.”

Joliet Catholic Academy

1200 N. Larkin Avenue

Joliet, IL 60435

Ph: 815-741-0500

jca-online.org