Trilogy Repertory

Meet Carl Bird, our Shrek! Carl was most recently seen on the Trilogy stage last summer in Titanic as Thomas Andrews and has been in countless shows over the years.

Q: What do you love about this character/show?
A: What I love about Shrek is that beneath all the comedy, fairy-tale chaos, and ogre-sized attitude, it has a really beautiful message about belonging. Shrek has spent his life being judged before anyone really gets to know him, so he builds walls around himself and decides it is easier to be alone. But as the story unfolds, we see his humor, his heart, and the vulnerability underneath all those layers.

I also love that this show celebrates the characters who do not quite fit the mold. The fairy-tale creatures are told they don't belong, but they discover that the things that make them different are also what make them powerful. As someone who works in special education, that message really resonates with me. It is funny, big, colorful, and silly, but at its heart, Shrek is about being seen, accepted, and loved exactly as you are.

Q: What is your favorite song from this show?
A: My favorite song is “Who I’d Be.” It is the moment when Shrek finally lets the audience see the person he dreams he could be if the world had been kinder to him. For much of the show, he hides behind sarcasm, frustration, and a desire to be left alone, but this song gives us a glimpse of his imagination, his loneliness, and his hope.
I also love how the song brings Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona together. They are three very different characters, but in that moment, each of them is wishing for a life where they can be fully themselves. It is funny, heartfelt, and one of the most honest moments in the show.

Q: How long have you been acting?
A: Theater has been part of my life for more than three decades, and it is especially meaningful to continue performing in Bernards Township, where I first fell in love with theater as a kid. The first shows I ever saw were right here in the park, sitting on this hill and watching the stage come to life. I remember being completely captivated by the music, the lights, the costumes, and the feeling of a whole community gathered together for a summer night of theater.

Being back on this stage feels like a full-circle experience. I am performing in the same park where I once sat in the audience as a child, on the same hill where theater first captured my imagination. Now my own children get to experience that same magic in the same place, which makes this return feel even more special.

Q: What is your favorite line from the show?
A: “Ogres are like onions.”
It is probably the most famous Shrek line, and it is funny every time, but it also really captures the character. Shrek has layers. He is grumpy, guarded, stubborn, and sarcastic, but underneath all of that is someone who wants connection and acceptance just like everyone else.

Q: When not on stage, what do you like to do in your spare time?
A: When I am not on stage or at work, I try to be fully present for my family: my wife, Angela, and our two young children, Joey and Abby. They keep life lively, joyful, funny, and very real.

Q: What is a fun fact about yourself?
A: I am a proud resident of Bernards Township and part of at least the ninth generation of Birds to call it home, with family roots here going back to around 1750. My children are now the tenth generation continuing that tradition. Another fun fact: by day, I am a school administrator at a special education school, and this summer I get to become a big green ogre by night.

Come see Carl show all the layers Shrek has to offer as he brings him to life on stage this summer!

All shows begin at 8pm at Pleasant Valley Park in Basking Ridge on:
July 16th, 17th, and 18th
July 23rd, 24th, and 25th