Ages 10 - 14
Rated G
Beauty is in the eye of the ogre in Shrek The Musical JR., based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film and fantastic Broadway musical. It's a "big bright beautiful world" as everyone's favorite ogre, Shrek, leads a cast of fairytale misfits on an adventure to rescue a princess and find true acceptance. Part romance and part twisted fairy tale, Shrek JR. is an irreverently fun show with a powerful message for the whole family.
Once upon a time, in a far away swamp, there lived an ogre named Shrek. One day, Shrek finds his swamp invaded by banished fairytale misfits who have been cast off by Lord Farquaad, a tiny terror with big ambitions. When Shrek sets off with a wisecracking donkey to confront Farquaad, he's handed a task — if he rescues feisty princess Fiona, his swamp will be righted. Shrek tries to win Fiona’s love and vanquish Lord Farquaad, but a fairytale wouldn't be complete without a few twists and turns along the way.
Actors must be ages 10-14 by opening night to participate.
CLICK HERE For the Sign Up Form
Auditions will be February 28th - March 1st with callbacks on March 2nd.
CLICK HERE For the Sign Up Form
Friday, February 28th:
4 pm - 7 pm Shrek Vocal Appointments
7 pm - 8 pm Shrek Dance Call
Saturday, March 1st:
12:30 - 3:30 pm Shrek Vocal Appointments
3:30 - 4:30 Shrek Dance Auditions
Sunday, March 2nd:
12 - 6 pm Shrek Callbacks Upstairs.
VOCAL AUDITIONS:
Please prepare 16-32 bars of a musical theatre song. Sheet music is preferred. No transpositions and no lead sheets. No a cappella singing. Please do not sing songs from the show. An accompanist will be provided. Backing tracks (karaoke) are not preferred but are allowed. We will provide the speaker and adapters/Bluetooth. Please bring your track on a device.
DANCE CALLBACKS:
A short dance combination will be taught. There are roles available for strong dancers as well as non-dancers. You will be notified at your vocal audition if we would like to see you at the dance call. Please wear dance wear and bring jazz shoes. If you have tap shoes, please bring them.
READ/SING CALLBACKS:
You will be notified at your vocal audition if we would like to have you read/sing. A schedule will be emailed out by midnight on Saturday, March 1st.
VIDEO SUBMISSIONS:
Attending auditions in person is much preferred, however, if you are unavailable for any of the times listed, here is the process to submit a self-tape video audition:
Tapes are due by February 22nd. You will be notified of any callbacks by February 26th. Callback tapes are due by midnight on Friday, March 1st.
All vocal audition self-tapes should follow these guidelines:
- Please prepare 16-32 bars of a musical theatre song. Please do not sing from the show.
- Vocal backing tracks or live accompaniment are allowed. Do not sing a cappella.
- Please slate your name, age, and what you will be singing.
- Video auditions are accepted as UNLISTED YOUTUBE links or GOOGLE DRIVE links ONLY.
- Links need to be included in your audition form.
- GOOGLE DRIVE links must be shared with the following emails:
Some helpful self-tape hints:
- Early submissions are greatly appreciated and give us more time to spend on your video than those we receive at the deadline.
- You do not need fancy equipment. Using a phone camera is more than sufficient.
- Film in landscape.
- Make sure your phone is stationary and level. A tripod is helpful, but not necessary. It is easy to make a stand for your phone out of household items.
- Choose a quiet, well-lit area with minimal distractions.
- Natural light and ring lights are great, but you can also enhance with lamps. We want to clearly see your facial features and expressions.
- You do not need to do a full-body frame unless your audition piece requires it. In most cases, an upper body frame is best.
- Practice before filming! Prepare for this audition as you would for an in-person audition. Practice your song for vocals and acting before ever setting up your equipment.
- If you are prepared ahead of filming, you should not need more than 3 takes. Do not overanalyze details.
Be sure you’ve read all the audition details above and then CLICK HERE to complete the Audition Form to schedule an appointment or submit a video.
Lisi Levy (she/her) is overjoyed to be making a return to GCPA this summer! A former GCPA student herself, Lisi graduated from Oklahoma City University with a BFA in Acting and a minor in Directing. Since then, she has directed countless youth theatre productions, including Footloose Youth Edition and Godspell Jr. for GCPA! Lisi is currently based in Philadelphia, PA where she works as an actor, director, and teaching artist. See you this summer!
Sarah Vlodek has had a passion for performing from a very young age, beginning dance lessons at the age of 2, and being in her first musical at the age of 7. Sarah recently graduated from Waldorf University where she earned both a B.A in Musical Theatre and a B.A in Vocal Performance. Sarah discovered her love for directing and teaching when she directed her first one act play in high school, and since then she has taught private voice lessons, worked as an ensemble assistant for the St. Louis Children’s Choirs, and co-directed the Musical Theatre Showcase at her university. Sarah has attended several summer vocal intensives where she has performed in many scenes and full length operas including Don Giovanni, Little Women, and Susannah. Sarah has also performed in many musicals, with a few of her favorite roles being Mother in Ragtime, Pennywise in Urinetown, and Cathy in The Last Five Years.
Chrissy Clair (Wallen) began her dance journey at Ballet Arts Center in Farmington, MO, under the guidance of Kimberly Gavin Anderson. From a young age, she discovered a deep passion for dance, ultimately choosing to pursue it as a career. After graduating high school, Chrissy continued her studies at Webster University’s Department of Dance, earning a BFA in Dance with an emphasis in ballet and departmental honors in 2020. Choosing to stay in the area, she has danced professionally, choreographed, and taught all in St. Louis and continues to be an active member of the thriving art community in this city. She has spent the last five summers at the Space Station Residency, performing works by artistic director Jacob Henss, Josiah Gunderson, Nicole Kennett, and Paige VanNest. In February 2023, Chrissy performed in Emily Duggins Ehling’s independent show “…and everything stays the same…,” with a duet from the show, “please hold me,” became a separate work, touring at various festivals alongside her best friend, Abbi LeBaube.Chrissy is also a dedicated member of RESILIENCE Dance Company, where she is in her fourth year as a company member and serves as the costume curator/designer. With the company, she has performed in multiple evening-length works by artistic director Emily Haussler and guest choreographers such as: Victoria Awkward, Annie Rigney, Kia Smith, Mike Esperanza, Persi Mae, Rosanna Taverez, Vim Viggor, Xi Zhao. Chrissy’s costume design work has been featured in seven RDC shows. Most recently, she choreographed and premiered “just turn me on” for RDC’s Collective Realities in February. Chrissy’s passion extends into teaching. In her fifth year of teaching, she works at her home studio, Ballet Arts Center, and Dimensions Dance Center, shaping the next generation of dancers. Chrissy is super excited to spend the summer with GCPA choreographing Shrek Jr!
Trinity Rain Madison, a St. Louis native, is an all-around creative with a passion for arts education. She received her BS from Abilene Christian University where she studied Theatre, Education, and English. Trinity has a growing portfolio including directorial work (Tapestry, IT’S A BIRD… IT’S A PLANE… IT’S SUPERMAN, In the Heights), sound engineering (The Little Mermaid, Godspell, The Coast Starlight), and writing (Grace for President: the presidential play, A Black Inheritance, The Shinnery Review). She is also an experienced stage management, jazz and musical theatre dance choreographer, and actress. One of Trinity’s biggest joys has been teaching at Gateway Center for Performing Arts since 2021! When she’s not working, she enjoys reading, learning Swahili, and cuddling with her dog, Tempo.
Hover over the images to learn more about the Creative Team!
This is a production camp that includes workshops and masterclasses. All actors are called to every rehearsal. Only limited conflicts will be considered. No conflicts will be approved during the 3rd week or during performances. No additional conflicts can be submitted after March 2nd except for emergency circumstances.
YOUR CONFLICTS MUST BE UP-TO-DATE IN THE AUDITION FORM TO BE CONSIDERED FOR APPROVAL.
Rehearsals
July 7th - July 27th, 2024
Monday - Friday, 9AM - 4PM
Location: ALL REHEARSALS AND PERFORMANCES WILL BE HELD AT THE NEW THEATRE SPACE AT LUTHERAN SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL WHICH IS JUST 10 MINUTES FROM GCPA.
Performances
July 25th at 7pm
July 26th at 2pm & 7pm
July 27th at 2pm
Lutheran South High School
9515 Tesson Ferry Rd
St. Louis, MO 63123
Strike Sunday, July 27th after final performance.
Strike is REQUIRED for all actors with no exceptions. Strike will begin after the final performance. Actors will be released by 6 pm.
NO SURPRISES FINANCIAL OBLIGATION OUTLINE
There is a one-time production fee of $750.
This production camp is a hybrid of our Education and Artistic programming. Actors will rehearse the show while also receiving classes in acting, vocal technique, and dance to help them expand and hone their skillset. The production fee covers 3 full weeks of camps, including training and production costs.
GCPA charges a nonrefundable registration fee of $30 for the first student and $15 per additional student per year, not to exceed $45 annually, due upon first registration. Registration fees are charged on a Fall-Spring-Summer cycle and renew upon registration for the Fall semester. Students only participating in Summer programming in 12 months will have a registration fee renewal upon registration for the Summer. Accounts are automatically charged the fee the first session enrolled during that cycle.
Patrons are also charged a Convenience Fee per transaction which covers the cost of processing. Credit Card convenience fees are 2.26% plus $0.30. Bank Account ACH convenience fees are .8%.
GCPA offers need-based financial assistance and payment plans. Please contact Christy at ctimberlake@gcpastl.org. We will follow up with an application. Financial Assistance has NO baring on casting.
COSTUMES
GCPA provides costumes. Actors will be asked to provide the following:
Female Characters – Skin colored tights. Skin colored leotard with invisible straps. Some option(s) out of: jazz shoes, character shoes, lace up boots, heeled tap shoes
Male Characters: – Black Pants, belt, and socks. White button-down dress shirt. White undershirt. Fitted undershorts. Some option(s) out of: black dress shoes, black jazz shoes, flat tap shoes, lace up boots.
All - Provide own make-up and hair products unless wigged. Potentially provide every day items such as jeans.
Prices vary for base layer items and dance shoes. GCPA does provide options from wholesaler Revolution Dancewear for extremely competitive prices.
TICKETS
Tickets for Shrek Junior will be $20. There are no complimentary tickets. There may be a processing fee.
TRIBUTES, BUSINESS ADS, T-SHIRTS AND JACKETS
All of the below are OPTIONAL.
GCPA provides a program (digital and printed) where you will have the option to purchase a tribute ad for your actor and/or a business ad. There are price points from $20 - $500, so something for everyone!
T-shirts will be available for $25. Show shirts include the show logo on the front, cast/crew list on the back and the YTC Cast Member badge on the shoulder.
Youth Theatre Company Members Only Jackets are available for $65
There is a company dinner between shows on Saturday with a suggested donation of $10.
EXTRAS
Parent volunteer may ask for donations/ideas for our annual fundraiser, Raise the Curtain.
Parents often organize a cast party and director gifts, requesting a donation from cast. This is separate from GCPA and up to the cast to decide.
