Set in a mythical “once upon a time” sort of land, Shrek the Musical is the story of a hulking green ogre who, after being mocked and feared his entire life by anything that crosses his path, retreats to an ugly green swamp to exist in happy isolation. Suddenly, a gang of homeless fairy-tale characters (Pinocchio, Cinderella, the Three Pigs, you name it) raid his sanctuary, saying they’ve been evicted by the vertically challenged Lord Farquaad. So Shrek strikes a deal: I’ll get your homes back, if you give me my home back! But when Shrek and Farquaad meet, the Lord strikes a deal of his own: He’ll give the fairy-tale characters their homes back, if Shrek rescues Princess Fiona. Shrek obliges, yet finds something appealing–something strange and different–about this pretty princess. He likes her. A lot. But why does she always run off when the sun sets?

The Upstart Crow Theatre Company had its first production in 1996 followed by its first musical, "The Music Man" in 1997.  Since that time, the Dakota Ridge stage has seen over 50 productions with five different directors, each bringing her or his own unique flair and talents to the department.  Throughout the years, the program has striven to achieve the same goal: to introduce as many students as possible to the dramatic and performing arts while maintaining a high quality program.