The Good Times are Back: Drama Presents The Little Mermaid

BY: ALEX KOHM '23

High School Drama’s latest and last production of the year, The Little Mermaid, was performed by the drama class last week, on March 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th. It is the second show performed by drama this year, and took place in Glenn Hall as the auditorium is still undergoing renovations. The Little Mermaid is a very famous musical and even more famous movie that falls under the comedic fantasy genre, and is about romance, family, and adventure. Drama and Stage Crew came together to produce one of their best and most ambitious shows since quarantine.

In terms of set design, Stage Crew did a very impressive and innovative job. They used a projector to portray underwater scenes, rented lights that cost thousands of dollars, and much more. LED curtains were also hung around the walls of Glenn Hall and these extra lights enhanced the mood of each scene. The most impressive prop I noticed was Ursula’s magic shell, which Mr. Pine put a remote controlled light into to portray the shell’s magic. There were only a few minor audio issues, but overall the production was very professional. The costumes were well done, with some of the more creative ones being the clear umbrellas used to portray jellyfish.

Acting quality in the play was very solid, with only a few issues. One of the more noticeable problems was that the actor playing Prince Eric was hard to hear at times. Some of the standout performers were Ariel, played by CC Mason, and Ursula, played by Sophia May, who blew away the audience with their impressive voices. Overall, the actors produced a very good final show of the year.

In terms of story, it was just The Little Mermaid. However, in this production, King Triton and Ursula are revealed to be siblings. The basic plot of the story remained the same: there is a mermaid (Ariel) who falls in love with a human (Prince Eric) against her father’s wishes. An evil/misunderstood sea witch (Ursula) turns Ariel into a human with the catch being that she gives up her voice. Ariel needs to get a kiss from Eric before the third night in order to regain her voice and save her soul from Ursula. With new songs not included in the Disney version, this production made for an interesting twist on the classic story.

Watching Drama’s productions is always a fun experience with friends. Congratulations to Drama on a job well done and a great year, can’t wait to see what’s next!