PRODUCTION STAFF

MICS Mia Davis

MIC CONSULTANT Dani Potter

LIGHTING DESIGNER .................................................... Quinn Connolly

SPOTLIGHT ................................................... Levi Fuller, Shelly Lofgren

INTIMACY CONSULTANT ..................................................... Kelli Jaecks

PHOTOGRAPHY ................................................................. Vicki Woods

POSTER DESIGN .............................................................. Isaac Mitchell

PROGRAM DESIGN Carlee Wright

HOUSE MANAGER Sean Needles

BOARD LIAISON .................................................................... Erik Davis

Special Thanks

Jon Stuber and Jeff Witt  Children’s Educational Theatre

Howard Street Charter School  Keizer Home Depot

North Salem High School - Alyssa Bond

Northwest Senior and Disability Services

West Salem High School - Tracy Sabine

Umpqua Actors Community Theater

I think we all love a good underdog story! When I think back to how we got to the long anticipated run of Shrek the Musical at Pentacle Theatre I see several parallels.

The stories you are about to see unfold before you are full of underdogs, characters whose circumstances have the odds working against them. Whether it be how they look, how people perceive them or their lack of a supportive community.

When the 2020 Pentacle season was canceled, so was our intended run of Shrek. As a director, I sat in limbo for months wondering if this show would ever come to fruition. I brainstormed with other directors about how we could creatively stage the show scheduled for Dec 2020, because we'd only be affected by COVID for a few weeks (oh, how naive we were in the spring of 2020). Eventually, plans for the show and the season were scrapped. The coming months left me wondering, would Pentacle survive and if so, how could this tiny theater stage large cast musicals any time soon, the odds seemed stack against us.

Fast forward to proposals for the 2023 season. As a director, I am not afraid of big challenges and I was eager to bring back the "big musical." I've always had faith we could make our comeback. I was fortunate enough to be entrusted by the Pentacle board to be granted the opportunity to prove it can be done! A few questions remained. Could I recruit a team who believed? Would actors show up? Could I find someone who could do the make up and costumes justice?

The answer was yes on all fronts! I feel extremely fortunate to have a top tier production team made up of Jill Sorensen, Kent Wilson, Geri Greeno, Mary Ann Potter, Scott Ramp, Chris Benham and Quinn Connolly—this is truly a team effort. We met, we planned, we created and we waited—would anyone to show up to audition?

I ran through every nightmare COVID-inspired scenario in my head, game planning and problem solving for the worst. Like any good underdog story audition day could easily be the climax of this tale. Not only did people show up, the most amazing turn out of any audition I've ever seen unfolded before my eyes. 85 people for 30 roles - absolutely unheard of - overwhelmed would be an understatement. This scenario was not one that I had run through in planning, but it was the best case scenario for sure.

Throughout rehearsals, we've dealt with schedule conflicts, work trips and illness. We had delivery delays and weather cancellations, the light board locked us out on tech Sunday and at one point the entire projection screen fell. It felt like a comedy of errors at times. Like any good underdog story we had early success and then we took hit after hit that set us back and maybe caused a bit of panic, but we never let it deter us.

Never underestimate the heart of a champion or insert any other sports movie cliche. We perserved through adversity, and now you are here sitting with us to once again experience the magic that is theater, a brief escape to forget about all of those things in life that have us questioning, worried or frustrated. Never more than now have we needed these moments. Getting here in this new post-COVID reality presents many new challenges, but I can tell you one thing, its 100% worth it.

If you are new to Pentacle Theatre—welcome, we are so happy you decided to join us! If you are returning to Pentacle Theatre, it's wonderful to see you again!

I hope you enjoy - Shrek the Musical,

Robert Salberg Director

Robert Salberg Director

Robert has a long history with Pentacle Theatre. As an actor, his most recent credits include Dashing Through the Snow, Urinetown the Musical and Sordid Lives. As a director, most recent credits include Mamma Mia (2019), Little Shop of Horrors (2018), Spamalot (2017), 9 to 5: The Musical (2016), Young Frankenstein (2015), Les Miserables (2014), Legally Blonde (2013), 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2012), RENT (2011), Fiddler on the Roof (2010), Seussical (2019). Robert is the drama teacher at Howard Street Charter School and the Executive Director of Children's Educational Theatre (CET). He coaches Cross Country and Track at South Salem High School and is a Crossfit Trainer at Crossfit Salem. You can find him running daily in Bush and Riverfront Parks. In 2015, he was named in the Top 20 Under 40 in Salem and won Dancing with the Salem Stars.

Jill Sorenson Assistant Director

Jill directed the 2019 Pentacle production of The Great American Trailer Park Musical and the 2018 production of Calendar Girls She also assistantdirected Mamma Mia! at Pentacle in 2019. Her Pentacle Theatre production team credits include Little Shop of Horrors, The Savannah Sipping Society, Spamalot, Jesus Christ Superstar, Seussical, 9 to 5: The Musical, Urinetown, The Addams Family, Young Frankenstein, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown and Into the Woods. She previously served as board liaison to the Pentacle Play Reading Committee. Jill is a COO at Catholic Community Services. She is thankful to her daughters, Emmalena and Hope, for encouraging her back into theater.

The Salem Theatre Network (STN) is an alliance of 12 theatre organizations with the mission of supporting, promoting, and uniting theatre communities in and around Salem, Oregon. Learn more at www.facebook.com/SalemTheatreNetwork

Geri Lyne Greeno Choreographer

Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, Geri has been involved in theater for nearly 40 years, with more than half of that here in Oregon. Geri has been active both on and off stage having directed Other Desert Cities, The Nerd and The Curious Savage and choreographed and directed The Boyfriend and My Fair Lady and Jesus Christ Superstar at Pentacle Theatre. Also for Pentacle, she choreographed several shows including Guys and Dolls, Mary Poppins, Urinetown, 9 to 5: The Musical, Seussical, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Nunsense, Spamalot, A Christmas

Carol, Cabaret and Little Shop of Horrors. Favorite onstage roles include Rosie in Mamma Mia, Elvira in Blithe Spirit, Billie

Dawn in Born Yesterday, Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Nancy in Oliver, Sheila in Hair, Maria in Sound of Music, Inga in Young Frankenstein and Eulalie Mackecknie

Shinn in Music Man. When not spending her time at the theater, Geri works for the state of Oregon and enjoys traveling with her fiancé Chris who she looks forward to marrying this summer.

Kent Wilson Vocal Director

Kent has participated in a number of shows with Pentacle Theatre. He served as Music Director for Beauty and The Beast and Cinderella and played keyboards in the pit orchestra for Legally Blonde, The Secret Garden, Chicago and Seussical the Musical. He also spent time on stage, playing Sebastian in The Little Mermaid. His work at other theaters includes two seasons as a musician at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Enlightened Theatrics, Albany Civic Theatre, The Majestic Theatre (Corvallis) and numerous high school productions.

By day, he is the choir teacher at Whitford Middle School in Beaverton, in his seventh year of teaching. He enjoys cooking, teaching middle schoolers and sharing and quoting Tik Tok videos.

NEW LOCATION!

Now open for dine-in at 508 State Street BRUNCH IS BACK!

Fri-Sun, 9am-1pm.

Dinner 4pm-close.

Sara Greenleaf Show Control Operator

Sara has been in one show in her entire life—25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in the role of Marcy Park under the direction of Mr. Salberg. She also subbed at the last minute as a pianist for a performance of The Secret Garden and has never recovered.

Sara taught Songwriters Workshop for Children’s Educational Theatre for a few summers. She was the pianist for Marry Me A Little at Verona Studio and an accompanist for various local musical theater recitals and competitions over the years. She has since retired from all that and now just pokes an iPad and music magically occurs.

Sara has two musical daughters (a singer and a pianist) and a cellist for a husband. She enjoys silence.

Bryce Benjamin Peter Pan/Duloc Performer/Knight 1/ Pied Piper

Bryce is currently a Senior at West Salem High School. He was most recently in the production of The Drowsy Chaperone in the role of Adolpho. He also played Sam in Mamma Mia! and Dromio of Ephesus in Comedy of Errors. He is late to the theater and performing world and is soaking up everything he can. He is grateful to Tracy Sabine, the Director at West for always believing in him and giving him his first opportunity on the stage. Bryce is excited to be attending AMDA, American Musical and Dramatic Academy, in the fall. He is over the moon to be performing in Shrek and working with Robert and this incredible cast! Lastly, he wouldn't be able to do any of this without his family, Mom/ Dad/Lola, and wants to give a special shout-out to his Meme and Papa for never missing anything.

Brett Hochstetler Shrek

Brett is excited to be back on the Pentacle stage after a four-year hiatus. Previous Pentacle credits include Horton in Seussical, Officer Lockstock in Urinetown, Fester in The Addams

Family, Linus in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, The Monster in Young Frankenstein, Chef Louis in The Little Mermaid and Robin in Spamalot. Brett lives in West Salem, where he enjoys watching sports and collecting sports cards, reading, and playing video games. He also works in the parts department and sells STIHL products at Rickreall Farm Supply, and he attends Salem First Baptist Church. Brett can’t emphasize enough how talented, hardworking and supportive this cast and creative team are and is humbly grateful to be a part of this wonderful production.