The theater program is performing “The Little Mermaid” today at 2 and 7 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m., as well as next weekend on the same days and times. Senior Lola Fisher plays the lead role, Ariel, a mermaid who falls in love with a human named Prince Eric.

To prepare for the role, Fisher has practiced the songs and rehearsed scenes while also watching the movie many times to fully understand the character.

“I felt really excited and a little surprised when she received the role because all of the auditions had been so amazing. I am really grateful that I have the opportunity to play Ariel,” Fisher said.

She has a lot of family and family friends that have younger children, so she is excited for them to see her as Ariel in the production. 

Fisher appreciates the time commitment by all cast and crew members during rehearsals.

“The fall musical can be very time-consuming, so rehearsals can be long and tedious for actors and stage crew. The stage crew also puts a lot of hard work into the show. However, rehearsals are also so fun and rewarding for everyone involved,” Fisher said. 

Senior Henry Whitmore is the stage manager for The Little Mermaid. He handles all of the light and sound effects on stage. In addition, Whitmore makes sure the cast is present on time, generally manages rehearsals and makes sure the production runs smoothly during the live performance. 

Whitmore outlines the different roles and responsibilities of the crew. 

“The props department handles props for the show. The props head is Heather. The lighting and sound design are handled by their respective designers but currently I am the one on the headset making sure they change when and how they need to,” Whitmore said.  

Whitmore has stayed after school every single day until at least 6 p.m. to ensure everything on the production side of “The Little Mermaid” is ready for the performance. During tech week, the week leading up to the show, Whitmore and the crew has stayed at school until 9 or 10 p.m.. This production is especially time-demanding due to the extravagance of the sets.

“It’s Disney, so the show is pretty cliché as musicals go. However the set design is huge. We are trying to do it Broadway style, so we think that will take the show to the next level and make it special,” Whitmore said.