Our greening project for Shrek (aptly named “Greening Shrek!”) was a huge success! With the grant, we were able to invest in reusable batteries and charging stations to use in our microphone packs during the performances, and we have been able to reuse the same batteries in our subsequent Summer and Fall productions in 2022, preventing further disposable battery waste this year. We also used part of the grant to invest in the creation of Shrek-specific costume and prop pieces using sustainable materials and repurposing items that were then recycled or reused, along with the purchase of materials from local vendors.

The only roadblock we faced came from having to spend some time researching then sourcing our materials to be as sustainable as possible, such as reaching out to Material for the Arts and going through their collection, but we did have to settle for a few items to be purchased through Amazon (a huge greenhouse emission contributor). Though it took us time to get these materials, we were still able to get the pieces in time when we needed them and produced a magnificently green show!

We shared our greening project with audiences using two methods. First, we shared the BGA’s Instagram post about receiving the grant, which was reshared by several members of our community. We also shared the post to our community on Facebook. Second, in our virtual playbill, we included a thank you note to the BGA while also acknowledging the greening grant and what the grant was used for specifically in this production.