Costume Designer Brings "Shrek" To Life At Limestone

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.”

While that line from “The Wizard of Oz” attempted to conceal the identity of Professor Marvel, there’s no ignoring the talents of the local man behind the scenes who is helping to soon bring “Shrek The Musical” to the stage at Limestone College’s Fullerton Auditorium.

Limestone senior Cody Bostic remembers the day that the show’s director, Dr. Tim Baxter-Ferguson, approached him about being the Costume Designer for the big green ogre, Princess Fiona, Donkey, Lord Farquaad, and the other cast of characters who will appear seven times over two weekends later this month.

“I thought ‘Oh my goodness’ when Dr. Tim approached me about it,” said the 21-year-old English/Theatre major. “I was unaware of how big the show was to begin with. I knew it was a musical and all musicals are big because the ensembles have to do so much with the show. What I didn’t realize with ‘Shrek’ was how many different characters there are in the stage production.

“There are minor roles that take place for two minutes or less, but those can take up the biggest part of your costume budget,” he continued. “We’re not ordering things straight out of a catalog. With this, you have to get your hands dirty. This is a mixture of absolutely everything. We buy, rent, and create. We pull from our own stock, and we also have the luxury of pulling from the Gaffney Little Theatre’s costume inventory.”

The son of William Bostic and Yvette Sellars of Gaffney, Bostic had no idea when he was at Gaffney High School that he would later be at Limestone College, designing costumes for such productions as Irving Berlin’s White Christmas and Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps.

“This was a whole new thing for me,” Bostic explained. “I was planning to go to college for fashion design. I was in Dr. Tim’s English class as part of the dual-enrollment program. He proposed to me the idea of coming here and working with costumes. I had never done it but I thought it might be cool.  It’s a neat way to possibly transition in the future to working on styling sets of movies to maybe even working on Broadway.

“I want to work in the area of styling, whether it is on stage, in a movie, or down a runway,” he added. “Styling is what I am driven toward. For example, if I was working on a movie set in the 1930’s, then I would be doing a lot of research about what they were wearing then. And from that, I would get to help develop the characters by putting some personality into the clothing. The clothes, with the help of the actor, create the character. That’s especially true with a show like ‘Shrek.’ Everyone has seen the movies and there are certain things the audience is going to expect. And there are other things that I have more liberty to play with.”

As for being on stage, Bostic said he is more comfortable being behind the curtain. “I  appeared in one show and called it quits,” he said. But in addition to his costuming role, he does take part in Limestone’s Vocal Ensemble.

So audience members won’t see Bostic when “Shrek The Musical” soon delights children and adults alike. And that suits him just fine.  “I get my satisfaction on opening night, when I see the crowd reaction mixed with the actors’ enthusiasm, and the lights and the sets. It’s one big reward at the end.”

The Limestone College Departments of Theatre and Music, along with the Gaffney Little Theatre, will present “Shrek The Musical” starting with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 6-8. There will then be a 3 p.m. performance on Nov. 9. The following weekend, there will be a 7:30 p.m. show on Nov. 14, and then performances at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 15.

“Shrek The Musical,” based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks film that started it all, brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to life on stage. In a faraway kingdom turned upside down, things get ugly when an unseemly ogre – not a handsome prince – shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Throw in a donkey who won’t shut up, a villain with a short temper, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand… and his name is Shrek. Featuring a terrific score of songs, big laughs, great dancing and breathtaking scenery, Shrek The Musical has been proclaimed as “Far, far and away the funniest musical on Broadway!”

The local production includes 32 cast members, including Taylor Smith as Shrek, Jessie Cantrell as Princess Fiona, Treshawn Ford as Donkey, J.R. Bloomer as Lord Farquaad, and Carmen Dixon as Dragon.

The musical numbers include: “Story of my Life,” “Don’t Let Me Go,” “What’s Up Duloc,” “I Know It’s Today,” “I Think I Got You Beat,” “Ballad of Farquaad,” “Make a Move,” “When Words Fail,” “Morning Person,” “I’m a Believer,” and more.

Dr. Baxter-Ferguson is the Director, with Dr. David Thompson serving as Musical Director. Jennifer Gardner is the Choreographer, and Dr. Todd Morgan is the Producer.

Tickets at the door are $10 for adults, $8 for students with a valid ID and for senior citizens 65 and over. Limestone College students, faculty, and staff will be admitted free. Visit www.showtix4u.com to order tickets in advance.