Jonathan Champion, a 13-year old Newton resident and 8th grader at Bigelow Middle School, usually stands at 5'10" tall, but these days he's been knocked down to just 3 feet 6 inches. What happened to make Jonathan shrink more than 2 feet? He landed the role of the malcontent but vertically challenged ruler of Duloc, Lord Farquaad in Weston Drama Workshop’s production of SHREK the Musical. Since the evil despot is big in power, but small in stature, Champion plays him on his knees. He slides, kicks, jumps, and dances with the help of some sturdy kneepads. "At first I was really sore and got plenty of cuts and bruises, but its all been worth it," says Champion. "The WDW cast is fantastic and the choreography is great fun," he adds.
Jonathan's character may be one of the smallest in the cast of SHREK, but he's one of its biggest stars. It takes great comedic timing to pull off the role of Farquaad and Jonathan "rises" to the challenge. It's no wonder, since he has acting in his blood. Jonathan's parents and his brother Will are all accomplished actors. As a matter of fact, the three Champion men will be on stage on the same day this July. Jonathan's dad Bill Champion, a veteran West End actor, will be performing in This is My Family in Sheffield England at the same time his sons will be on Weston Drama Workshop's stage - Jonathan in SHREK and Will in Blood Brothers.
Weston Drama Workshop draws the best acting talent in the MetroWest area. If you'd like to see Jonathan and a talented cast of 50 feisty fairytale creatures in SHREK, then come to Regis College in Weston July 20th at 10:30 am, July 22nd at 7pm, July 23rd at 7pm, July 25th at 10:30 am or July 27th at 10:30am.
Weston Drama Workshop is putting on 4 more full-length productions including ALMOST, MAINE, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, Blood Brothers, and James and the Giant Peach. Newton residents performing in these shows include Anna Fantozzi, Chris D'Agostino, Peter Diamond, Skylar Grossman, Will Champion, Samantha Martin, and Samuel Fidler. Performances run from July 18th through the 27th. Tickets can be purchased at through the box office at 781- 768-7070 or from www.ticketstage.com. Adults $17, Children $12. For more information on the season see the Weston Drama Workshop at www.westondramaworkshop.org.
