STEP VA Cast Spotlight: Meredith Archer & Katie LaSalle
- Apr 14
- 3 min read
by Brigid O'Leary
FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA—No fairy tale is truly complete without a dragon and “Shrek the Musical JR.” is no different. But in the STEP VA Inc. way, the local 501(c)3 nonprofit that “empower people with disabilities and their families through creative expression and sensory exploration,” there will be two actors manning the dragon. STEP VA split the role of the dragon into two roles, not only to provide more opportunities for the cast but to break it up and not make one person literally carry the whole character. Sharing the role are Meredith Archer and Katie LaSalle, both of whom are also playing two of Sleeping Beauty's three fairy godmothers.
“Shrek the Musical JR” will be Archer's sixth musical with STEP VA. She was in the cast of the original musical, “A Special COVID-19,” written by cast mate Noah Finch in 2020 and brought to the stage in 2021. This won't be Archer's first time sharing a role, either, nor is it her first time playing two roles. When the organization staged Disney's “The Lion King, Kids!” Archer played Young Nala and shared the role of Rafiki with Finch.
For “You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” she was cast as “Patty,” in the Peanuts Gang and the Pink Bird in the Bird Girl Gang in “Seussical Jr.” Last year she played “Mrs. Crush,” the matriarch of the sea turtle family and a compliment to Finch in the role of “Crush” in Disney/Pixar's “Finding Nemo Jr.”
The Spring Musical Experience has been good for Archer and she cites it as the reason she returns every year.
“I loved 'Finding Nemo,' and 'Seussical' was the best, and I like Shrek music,” she explained, adding that “I like to sing, dance, and I love the costumes.”
Being double cast means double costumes, and not only is Archer excited for both of hers, she's not even worried about changing outfits.
“I'm the blue fairy and dragon but my dragon skirt goes over my fairy dress. Mom made it very simple,” she explained.
Keeping things simple can make it more effective and, with STEP VA, keeping things simple means the cast can focus on what's important. For Archer, that's the crux of being part of the cast.
“We can share, work together as a team,” she said. Her goal going into the season was to “be a friend,” and added that as part of the cast, “we all stick together.”
Archer and LaSalle will be sticking together quite a bit this season, not only as the fairies but sharing the stage and bringing life to the dragon.
And for LaSalle, her favorite scene is one they will share as the dragon, taking on Lord Farquaad toward the end of the show.
“I love being a tough female dragon,” she said.
LaSalle is no stranger to strong roles, having had her start as the hyena Shenzi in STEP VA's version of Disney's “The Lion King, Kids!” After that she was Violet Grey in “You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” and Deb, the striped damselfish, part of the “Tank Gang” in Disney/Pixar's “Finding Nemo, Jr.”
She returns each year, she said, because “Like last year and the 'Lion King,' I just want to sing and dance like everyone else.”
Going into this season, the thing LaSalle was most looking forward to is the cornerstone of all STEP VA performances—having the opportunity to deliver a least one line of dialog.
“I'm looking forward to doing a line for a character, or any other different characters, and practicing my lines,” she said.
Now that the show is within reach, all of her previous experience has paid off.
"I haven't found anything challenging about the show," she explained.
Come see these roar in real life, at STEP VA's version of “Shrek the Musical JR,” at Courtland High School, April 18 (6 p.m.) and April 19 (3 p.m.).
Tickets on sale now at stepva.org
