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Sebastian, Triton, Flounder, Ariel, and Scuttle posing for a cast photo
All photos by Micah Marie Photography unless listed otherwise
The script analysis was completed before design week started to make sure that all crew heads started on the same page about the basic technical aspects of the show. More was added after the baseline of script requirements was set.
Scuttle and the tap dancing seagulls during "Positoovity"
Photo taken by Ray Martin
Ariel, who has finally learned how to use her legs, with the seagulls at the end of "Positoovity"
The mersisters during "Daughters of Triton"
Sebastian, Ariel, and sea creatures dance to "Under the Sea"
Two sea creatures may be seen flying in the far right and left
Mermaid Blocking Page.pdfAbove is a sample page from my blocking script. I used a ground plan on the left side of my prompt book, printed on the back of each page of the script, to draw in where people were onstage. I then use initials for actors and arrows to show movement from set pieces.
Unique aspects:
- Use of two different flight tracks
- Primarily rented costumes
- Two rented backdrops
- Set, lights, props, and sound entirely designed and built by students
The student designed, built, and painted columns depicted above are double sided, with one side being the windows that appear in the banquet scenes, and one side being the pillars that appear in King Triton's Court (pictured below). The above pictures show running crew members, in blue morph suits, who moved and turned the pillars onstage from the inside.
I chose to make a separate spreadsheet of cues just for running crew. This sheet could be kept backstage with the head runners to help direct traffic backstage and keep track of what scenes and cues needed to happen next. This sheet helped organization and flow backstage.
Ariel blows smoke from a pipe at Grimsby during the palace dinner scene
Ariel, Prince Eric, and the Maids during the palace dinner scene
Ariel and Eric in the boat during "Kiss the Girl" - Flounder and a Sea Creature push the boat around the stage
Scuttle flies overhead as Sebastian sings "Kiss the Girl" to Ariel and Eric
Little Mermaid Calling Script.pdfAbove is a sample page from my calling script. For this show, I decided to call from the script instead of from the score due to the lack of beat-specific cues. I use a single sided script and write in my cues on the right side of the dialogue/lyrics. I also color code my cues with sticky notes, with warning cues called about a page before a cue should go in pink, standby cues called 10-15 seconds before a cue should go in yellow, and go cues in green.
Triton, Sebastian, Ariel, and Eric singing "If Only - Quartet" from four different corners of the stage. Triton flew over his throne upstage center, Sebastian sat on the edge of the pit hole downstage center, Ariel sung from her chambers stage right, and Eric sang from his boat on stage left.
Ursula wielding Triton's trident as it lights up
Ursula singing with Triton's trident
Ursula, Flotsam, and Jetsam standing over Ursula's cauldron, which smokes from dry ice
Ursula, Flotsam, and Jetsam during "Daddy's Little Angel"
Ariel singing her voice over to Ursula's shell. The shell and Ursula's cauldron both light up in this scene.
Triton and Ariel in Ariel's Grotto
In another example of student designed props, Eric's bust was designed by cutting up a styrofoam model head (pictured above left) and placing a balloon inside. This balloon was rapidly inflated with an air hose from behind Ariel's Grotto (pictured above center) during the scene where Triton destroys Ariel's grotto and Prince Eric's bust explodes (pictured above right).
Chef Louis and his Chefs looking for a runaway Sebastian during "Les Poissons"
Sebastian peeks at the audience from under the table in "Les Poissons"
One of the princesses fighting for Prince Eric's hand at "The Contest"
Grimsby introducing "The Contest" as princesses and accompanying courtiers enter the ballroom
The Courtiers watching as the princesses fight for Prince Eric's hand in marriage during "The Contest"
We had about a ten week rehearsal process to complete the show. We started the first couple of weeks in the choir room learning songs, then moved to the auditorium stage to learn choreography and blocking. We added flight three weeks from performances and all other technical aspects (lights, sound, mics, props, costumes, etc) two weeks out.
The above photos show the creation of just one set detail, completed by our props crew. To make the mermaid figurehead, resembling Ariel, to put on the front of the boat, we wrapped one of our actors in plastic wrap, then made an initial mold by wrapping her with duct tape. We then removed the duct tape mold and covered it in paper mache. The head was constructed separately by molding over a styrofoam model head, and the hair was constructed on its own and added to the piece. After all was paper mache-ed, it was painted, stuffed, and then attached with bolts to the front of the ship seen in Fathoms Below (pictured left).
Photos above taken by Dustin Pence, photos left taken by Micah Marie Photography.
Eric and Ariel's wedding during the Finale
Eric and Ariel's wedding during the Finale as friends and family observe and seagulls fly overhead
The Seagulls posing for a cast picture
Sebastian and Ariel
The Mersisters
In a scene where Ariel rescues Prince Eric from drowning, the doubles for Ariel and Eric fly in front of an underwater backdrop to allow the primary actors to get to the other side of the stage without having to be hooked/unhooked from the flight tracks.
After becoming human, Ariel flies out of audience view and sheds her mermaid tail, ending Act I.
A full cast and crew photo for Disney's The Little Mermaid shows the size of the 43 person cast in costume and the number of technicians and directors needed to make the show happen.
Above is a Master Cue to Cue sheet for Act I. Act II is in a separate spreadsheet. The page is color coded by scene, with cues that need to be called simultaneously in a black box. Spike tape colors for set cues are also noted.
Myself, backstage on headset during the show to call cues
Myself, the director, sound designer, and technical apprentice conversing before a final dress rehearsal.
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