Shrek Preview - Mary Poppins goes Green

Kitsap Sun Preview by Michael C. Moore (July 2015)

SEABECK — The bi-polar summer of Meagan Castillo continues.

The Bothell actress, who's been a frequent visitor to the Kitsap Forest Theater in recent seasons, is doing herself one better this summer, playing the female leads in not one, but both of the Mountaineers Players' productions there. She was the title character in Mary Poppins a couple of months ago, and returns to play Fiona in Shrek, the Musical, which opens on July 25 and runs for four weekends.

"I was only going to do one (show)," said Castillo, who's active in a number of companies on the other side of the Sound, mixing a busy slate of shows with being a wife and mother of three boys. "I was really interested in Shrek, I thought it would be a lot of fun. But when they announced they were going to do Mary Poppins, I couldn't exactly pass up a chance to audition for that, too.

"When they offered me Poppins, I thought I wouldn't get Shrek, too," she added. "I guess I was wrong."

Nikki Fey-Burgett, who's directing Shrek for the Seattle-based Mountaineers Players, made sure Castillo was mistaken.

"She just worked for me (as Fiona)," said Fey-Burgett, who's making her directorial debut at KFT (she filled in as piano accompanist for part of the Mary Poppins run), but has extensive credits back on the Eastern Seaboard. "I asked Gala (Lindvall, the producer of both shows), and she told me she didn't think it would be a problem."

Neither did Castillo, whose family has enthusiastically greenlighted her frequent stage projects. Two of her boys also have acted in KFT productions, and the third joins her husband, Bryan, in assorted offstage chores.

She said the transition from the "practically perfect" Poppins to the ogre Princess Fiona has been a challenging and fun experience.

"I feel a little bi-polar, actually," she said of moving from the famously cranky heroine of Mary Poppins to the sweet-natured, emerald-hued Fiona. "Mary Poppins isn't as bad in the play as she is in the books, so that made it a little easier."

Shrek — if you've been secluded in a bog for the last few years — is the impossibly successful stage adaptation of DreamWorks Animation's movie franchise, which began in 2001. It follows Shrek's quest to rescue Fiona and deliver her to prospective husband Lord Farquuad — not for love, but for the promise that squatters in his beloved bog will be turned out, restoring his solitude.

"It's a perfect story to tell here," Fey-Burgett said, gesturing around at the rustic amphitheater surrounded by ancient trees and post-blooming rhododendrons. The first time I came in for Mary Poppins, I started visualizing."

The first show Fey-Burgett — who was involved in theater back east for more than four decades before her recent westward migration — attended at KFT was last year's Honk!, which was directed by Adam Othman — who'll play Farquuad for her in Shrek.

"It's a special place, and a special company," she said. "It reminds me of a company in Virginia that I did a lot of work with. As soon as I discovered it, I knew I wanted to be involved."

Her musical director, Dawn Brazell, and keyboardist Josh Zimmerman both are KFT familiars, as is set co-designer Stewart Shusterman (with wife, Julie), who did the set for last year's Annie. Choreographer Molly Hall and costumer Misha Perritt are both in those capacities for KFT for the first time.

Fey-Burgett said she found all four of her leads — Castillo, Othman, Jason Gingold (Shrek) and Matthew Sythandone (Donkey) during the first round of general auditions (the Mountaineers audition simultaneously for both their summer shows).

"I had some wonderful people audition, but I just saw all four of these people (in the roles) immediately. It made things easy later on, because then I could really concentrate on filling the ensemble."

Castillo made her KFT debut in 2011 with lead roles in both Oklahoma and Into the Woods. She's also appeared there in Narnia (2013) and Honk! (2014), mixed among Seattle-area gigs at Second Story Repertory, Tacoma Musical Playhouse, Driftwood Players (Edmonds), Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society and other theaters on the east side.

She said working at KFT adds a "family aspect" to her acting that complements the more "adult" shows she does on the other side of the water.

"It's nice to do things that, not only can my family be involved in, but other people can bring their families to see," she said. "It's been a great family experience."

And, in the case of this particular two-show skein, it really fills up a summer.

http://www.kitsapsun.com/entertainment/local-theater-mary-poppins-goes-green_64236984