Lyonel Doherty, Times Chronicle

Perseverance has taught a Grade 7 student in Oliver that it really does pay off.

After four years of trying to land a lead role in a play, Grayden Lebedoff has done it.

The Oliver Elementary School student is playing the lead role in Shrek Jr. The Musical on May 3-5 at Venables Theatre.

“I auditioned and they made me Shrek. I wasn’t nervous when they asked me to audition because I didn’t think I was going to get it,” he told the Times Chronicle.

This is Lebedoff’s third production at the school, including Mary Poppins.

“I just like being up on stage and stuff. It’s something I like to do on the side. You learn how to talk in front of a lot of people.”

Lebedoff admitted it’s hard memorizing your lines, but when he forgets, he just looks at his teacher, Lori Martine for help.

Speaking of Martine, Lebedoff said he has been asking her every year to be the lead in a production.

Co-star Audrey Noftle, also in Grade 7, plays Fiona, a princess who turns into an ogre.

“I love acting . . . I like performing and being different characters,” she said. But she admitted that sometimes she’s scared of being on stage and forgetting her lines. 

Noftle points to her character, saying she’s not a perfect princess.

“She is quirky and funny; I kind of resemble her myself.”

The student said she has always had a fear of talking in front of people, but productions like Shrek Jr. teach her to be more confident.

Martine said she is very proud of this group of actors in the Fine Arts Club. 

“It is an incredible feeling to be able to rehearse and perform once again.”

The last time the Club was able to produce a live show was in the spring of 2019, when they did a choral revue called Broadway Beat. 

The following year they started work on Mary Poppins, Jr., but were delayed due to COVID-19 closures in March. “When we came back in September, the cast of 56 was down to 26 and we had one month to prepare.”

Martine said rehearsals were difficult with social distancing and cohort rules, but they managed to finish the show and film the production for parents. 

“No audience makes acting much more difficult,” Martine said. 

That same school year, the Club prepared another choral review that had to be “Zoomed” for classmates, with a video recording for parents.

Martine said Shrek Jr. is a tongue-in- cheek story about fairy tale characters and offers a wide range of speaking and singing roles to suit a large cast. “We are beyond excited about this opportunity and wish to thank all the OES staff as well as local volunteers who gave so generously of their time to put this together.”

Martine said they hope the audience will appreciate the many hours of practice and preparation that have gone into the production. She noted that 39 students in Grade 4 will also take part.

Shrek Jr. plays May 3-5 at Venables Theatre at 7 p.m. 

Tickets are $12 and are available online from the Venables Theatre website and can also be purchased at the theatre itself.