The A.C.T. Presents "Shrek the Musical JR"

Nasty will be nice when The Acton Cooperative Theater (The A.C.T.) present their production of Shrek The Musical JR. on Friday, December 14th at 7:00pm and on Saturday, December 15th at 11:30am. The family-friendly musical comedy follows the adventures of an ogre named Shrek who sets off on a quest to save a princess from a dragon. However, it turns out that in order to ultimately succeed, Shrek must battle an even bigger obstacle: learning how to believe in himself and open his heart to others. All shows will take place at R. J. Grey Jr. High School’s Dragonfly Theater, located at 16 Charter Road in Acton. Reserved seating tickets are $15 each and General admission tickets are $12 each. Tickets are available at the door or can be purchased in advance by calling 978-760-2577, through a cast member, or at Buttons & Bows located at 448 Great Rd Acton, MA 01720.

Shrek The Musical JR. follows an ogre named Shrek who has learned the hard way that “people hate the things they cannot understand.” For many years he has protected himself from the hurtful actions of those who are scared of him by living as a recluse in a cozy cesspit. One day, his peaceful swamp is disturbed by new tenants: fairytale misfits — including Pinocchio, the Ugly Duckling, the Wicked Witch, Peter Pan, the Three Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf — have been banished there by the villainous Lord Farquaad. In order to gain back his land, Shrek makes a deal with Farquaad to rescue the feisty princess Fiona from a tower guarded by a fierce dragon. Setting off with his faithful companion, Donkey, Shrek begins the journey of a lifetime filled with adventure, romance, and hilarity.

With music by Jeanine Tesori, book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, Shrek The Musical is based on the Oscar®-winning DreamWorks Animation film and the book Shrek by William Steig. The original Broadway production, starring Brian d'Arcy James as Shrek and Sutton Foster as Fiona, ran for twelve months and received a total of twelve Drama Desk Awards and eight Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical. The musical was adapted to be performed by students by educational musical theatre consultancy firm iTheatrics under the supervision of Timothy Allen McDonald.

Shrek The Musical JR. is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019 Phone: 212-541-4684 Fax: 212-397-4684 www.MTIShows.com.

The A.C.T. is a unique, non-profit cooperative theater for grades K-12. Their mission is to foster creativity and self-confidence in children and teens as they develop and improve their skills in various areas of the performing arts. The A.C.T. welcomes students from Acton and surrounding communities who are interested in exploring the wonderful world of theater.

The A.C.T. also offers a theater enrichment program. As part of the program, The A.C.T. organizes outings to local shows presented by the Acton Boxborough Regional Schools and to family-friendly Broadway shows at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, MA. In addition, The A.C.T. also offers cast families the ability to purchase discounted, premiere tickets to all shows and events in the Hanover Theatre’s 2018/2019 season. For more information on auditions for upcoming productions or the theater enrichment program, please visit the theater group's website at http://www.the-act.org.