Drills are turning, brooms are pushing and set pieces are collapsing. There are 27 people on hand to help deconstruct the set for the largest student-produced musical in the United States. It is now two and a half hours into the official set strike for Shrek: The Musical, this year's production for the 72nd annual Northwestern Dolphin Show.
The amount of time that has gone into this year's Dolphin Show is difficult to fathom. The executive producers, Brandon Johnston and Rachel Marchant, were selected at the beginning of Spring Quarter 2013. The artistic team and executive team were chosen soon after, and the production's been in full swing since then.
For the last three months, the production teams and the cast members have lived and breathed Shrek. Whether it was in rehearsal, on set or merely across social media – where the phrase "Shrek is Love, Shrek is Life" seemed to take on a life of its own – the students behind this year's Dolphin Show gave the entirety of their passion and abilities to Shrek: The Musical. And now it's over.
When the curtains closed this past Saturday, The Dolphin Show became a thing of the past for most of the Northwestern community. With no more shows to see and no more posts to read, the majority of the Northwestern student body began looking outward to other productions and events. However, for The Dolphin Show team, this conclusion signified the beginning of a time to look inward.
"The Dolphin Show changes every year, and we have to think about what we could have done differently, and what we can do in the future," explained Communication junior Maddie Ambrose, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for this year's production.
In past years, this reflection has involved one-on-one talks with every member of the show's artistic team, personal evaluations on where each member saw his or herself in the production and how they feel their position could be utilized for future shows. Beyond this, The Dolphin Show team is already planning how they're going to stay in touch.
"We're planning reunions already," said Communication and Weinberg junior Anne Martin. "Dolphin is an incredible community to be a part of, and that feeling of community certainly doesn't disappear just because the show is over."
However, before this reflection period starts and the reunions begin, there is a set to take down. Three are trees to pull apart, stairs to disassemble and castles to move. This is no easy chore, especially with many crew members suffering from self-proclaimed "hang-ogres." Feet are shuffling slowly, and there's a decided sadness that accompanies being forced to take down the product of months and months of preparation and construction. However, despite the "hang-ogres" and longing to leave the set up, there's still an obvious electricity in the air.
The camaraderie that permeates the entire group is palpable, and they feed off each other's presence – even in the show's final moments. The crew bursts into laughter when a stagehand attempts to auction off some of the stick dolls from the show. "I'll take the tiger with boots," shouts a cast member in the audience. Communications senior Will Wilhelm explains that this year was particularly special because "the show was all about embracing your quirks and individuality, so we [the Dolphin Show team] were able to bond over our weirdness."
It's clear that these students have come to know each other as more than just colleagues and acquaintances – they're a family.
The show also elicits good feelings for other students, who are able to benefit from the production's closing. Northwestern's South Asian Student Alliance will be claiming the castle for its performance at Celebrasia, and a gaggle of engineers surround the garbage can outside searching for good pieces of wood for future builds. Even inside Cahn Auditorium, another student theater company comes to take stage lights for one of its productions. It's clear that nothing at Northwestern exists in a bubble. However, this moment still belongs to the cast and crew of The Dolphin Show.
As the stage becomes more and more sparse, the conversations between the cast and crew become louder, and it's clear nobody wants this moment to end. People parade around the auditorium in various ogre attire and everyone recalls their favorite moments from the show's run. "You grow to know and love everyone that helps. It's unlike any other production at Northwestern," Ambrose says.
Despite this attachment though, the show must end. The selection process for the producers of next year's show will begin in a couple months, and soon Shrek will simply be another production on The Dolphin Show's long list of successes.
That day is not today though. Today, the focus is still on Shrek: The Musical, and the dedicated students who made the production possible. Memories will be relived, jokes will be shared and hugs will be exchanged as the countless students who brought this year's show to life continue to deconstruct The Dolphin Show.