After months of rigorous rehearsal and countless hours of outside dedication, junior Josiah Masvero wowed the crowd as Donkey in “Shrek the Musical”. Here is an inside look on how he brought his character to life, right down to the hooves.

Q: Tell us about your role
A: Donkey is a fun loving furry friend. He’s shrek’s best friend–the comic relief. Donkey is my favorite character in the show because he likes to have fun and is really energetic. He’s really fun to play because he’s just always having a good time; and he won’t let a lot of things get him down.

Q: Can you explain the dynamic between Donkey, Shrek and Fiona?
A: Donkey is like the wingman in Shrek the Musical; he’s the one with all of the swag. He knows his way around the ladies. He fits into the puzzle because he ties the story together. During the entire show donkey is looking for a friend, and at the end of the show he finally finds that true friendship.

Q: How does he [donkey] grow as a character?
A: He doesn’t; he’s just kind of a kid; he’s a little kid, that’s what it is. Donkey is a little kid.

Q: How would you describe Donkey in five words?
A: Donkey is an ass; loves fun.

Q: What kind of things did you have to perfect your donkey voice?
A: I listened to the movie, I listened to a couple of Eddy Murphy’s comedy bits. I listened to, actually a lot of Chris Rock, cause that’s what i’m kind of taking the dialect from more than Eddy Murphy  to be honest. Then I also watched the musical on Netflix a lot so i kind of got where the script fit the character voice.

Q: Where does Donkey see himself in ten years?
A: Dragon and I get pretty hot and heavy towards the end of the show, so if you were to ask me, I’d say in ten years we’d probably have three or four pretty adorable dronkeys.