At the moment she’s busily overseeing, prepping and putting the finishing touches on around 100 costumes for “Shrek: The Musical,” the 34th annual summer presentation of the Epiphany Players Drama Ministry taking place July 11-20 at Epiphany Lutheran Church in Centerville.
Based on the 2001 Oscar-winning animated film, this 2008 Tony Award-winning musical tells a charming story of adventure, friendship, identity, romance and self-worth. The tuneful songs by composer Jeanine Tesori (“Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “Fun Home”) and David Lindsay-Abaire include “Big Bright Beautiful World,” “I Know It’s Today,” “What’s Up, Duloc?” and “Freak Flag.”
‘The perfect balance between cartoon elements and realism’
NguyenLu, 26, said the production, directed by Aaron Brewer and featuring a large cast of 40, has been intentional on making familiar characters feel fresh, especially the lovable green ogre at the center.
“How can we make Shrek different from how he looks in the movie or as he looked on Broadway?” she said.
In discussions with Brewer, it was clear to use Shrek’s backstory for motivation.
“Shrek got his clothes from his parents as a kid and is then sent off so I made (Young) Shrek’s clothing really oversized because his parents felt he would have time to grow into his clothes,” NguyenLu said. “Adult Shrek’s vest (in particular) has added alterations to make it look like he’s made the vest his own, making it bigger to fit him, even haphazardly, as he has grown into an adult.”
Credit: MEGAN WEAN SEARS
Credit: MEGAN WEAN SEARS
She also enjoyed having the liberty to try new things and not necessarily conform to what has been done before. The overall “Shrek” costuming contains more than 150 pieces and many of her choices stemmed from the vast stock within Epiphany’s costume department. She also sought rental options from Alter High School, Beavercreek Community Theatre, Springboro Community Theatre and the Human Race Theatre Company.
“I wasn’t really tied to anything — I had the freedom to find what I wanted,” NguyenLu said. “And having freedom kind of took some of the pressure off because costuming this show seemed a little daunting. ‘Shrek’ is a big show with big numbers and big scenes. We also have a big cast and I figured there would be extra roles added, which means more costumes, because that is what Epiphany does — allow people more of a chance to be onstage. We wanted to keep some of the iconic looks but we also wanted to make our own telling of the story.”
Brewer agreed, describing their collaboration as “wonderful.”
“From the start, we discussed finding a balance between honoring the iconic visuals of the movie and the original productions while also finding new and inventive concepts for our version of this story,” Brewer said. “Catherine has managed to create a design that finds the perfect balance between cartoon elements and realism, developing visuals for these characters in a way that works so well with the other design elements of the production.”
Credit: David Sherman
Credit: David Sherman
Co-producer Megan Wean Sears, daughter of the late Kay Frances Wean who spearheaded the Epiphany productions for more than 15 years, also praised NguyenLu.
“Catherine is an absolute joy to work with,” said Sears, who will be entering her thirteenth year as director and choreographer of the Alter Castle Players. “She is blessed with immense talent and just as much patience. From student/teacher to ‘coworkers,’ I have loved our journey together.”
‘I love the aspect of being backstage’
Before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in fashion design from the University of Cincinnati — College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, NguyenLu honed her craft working internships with Costume Castle, Dayton Ballet and Kings Island as well as Norwegian Cruise Lines in Florida.
“I learned so much from simply working at different costume shops,” she said. “They are all run differently although there are similarities in the basics. I learned a wide array of new sewing skills and also backstage skills running shows.”
Credit: David Sherman
Credit: David Sherman
She also realized the importance of networking.
“I learned how to find jobs in the industry,” she said. “Building my network and connecting with people was big.”
In addition to working for Columbus-based BalletMet, NguyenLu has been a dresser for national tours that have performed in the region in recent years such as “Mean Girls,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical,” and, most notably, “Disney’s The Lion King” last summer in Columbus.
“I love the aspect of being backstage and working with actors as they’re doing the show,” she said.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
In terms of her personal design aesthetic, NguyenLu said she enjoys the thrill of the hunt.
“I’m more of a costume stylist,” she said. “I like to pull from what’s already out there in the world and piece things together. My mind works best when I have an idea that makes me (search). I like the hunt of finding what it is I’m looking for.”
‘Her work ethic and design eye are something to be envied’
Epiphany organizers are excited to see NguyenLu’s artistry on display in her largest sole design credit thus far.
“She’s truly created something that I can’t wait for our audiences to see,” Brewer said. “As the sole costumer on this massive project, she has managed to work ahead and keep us on track, with the majority of our costumes show ready well ahead of tech week. Her work ethic and design eye are something to be envied.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
NguyenLu is hopeful her work will leave an impression long after the final bows.
“You are a character in a play of your life,” she said. “So have fun (even) in how you dress. I hope audiences bring the fun, magic and whimsy of these characters into their own lives.”
HOW TO GO
What: “Shrek: The Musical”
When: July 10-20; 7 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays
Where: Epiphany Lutheran Church, 6430 Far Hills Ave., Centerville
Tickets: $15-$18
More info: Call 937-671-4951 or visit epiphanydayton.org.
Credit: Megan Wean Sears
Credit: Megan Wean Sears
About the Author
