by Tori Newby ‘22

Senior Emily Scholl and freshman Jordan Costolo rehearse their lines.

The theatre department is up and running again after a year of virtual performances. On November 18-20 at 7 p.m. and November 21 at 2 p.m., Sherwood Theatre plans to put on a production of The Little Mermaid in the Ertzman Theatre, directed by theatre teacher Elizabeth Kominski.
Sherwood Theatre is following the Broadway version of The Little Mermaid which is based off of the 1989 Disney film. The musical follows the story of Ariel, double-casted by seniors Kate Diuguid and Emily Scholl, who ventures to the world above sea to find her true love; Prince Eric is played by senior Luke Hanson and sophomore Ben Schoenberg.

According to county guidelines, performers must wear masks on stage. “Masks make it hard to perform to our fullest potential because … breath support is super important while singing, and masks make taking those big breaths tough,” said Diuguid.
The Little Mermaid is a very dance-focused show, and Kominski has been working with student performers to choreograph dance numbers, drawing inspiration from purchased choreography videos. The show includes a tap dance number as well as a ballroom dance scene, and elementary-aged kids are included in “Under the Sea.”

“Everyone is doing a great job picking up dances quickly, especially the little fish [little kids] who are featured in the biggest dance number of the show,” said junior Mia Rohan, who plays Ursula.

However, the rehearsal process is not always easy. Diuguid said she is nervous to see how “Under the Sea” turns out. “So many people on stage at once can be chaotic sometimes, and everyone has to be focusing in order for it to look coherent,” said Diuguid.

The pit orchestra, led by music teacher Alex Silverbook, is rehearsing the music for the show, with “Under the Sea” being one of the most challenging pieces to learn.
Kominski has been working hard to block scenes, finishing one scene at rehearsal and then immediately planning for the next. “That period when we’re blocking a scene a day, as a director, is really demanding and stressful … you’re constantly creating and inventing, and it’s really hard,” said Kominski.

Former Sherwood teacher Sarah Breeden is leading set design, constructing multiple set pieces with help from the student stage crew. They have built and painted two separate boats along with set pieces that imitate an ocean floor. During the show, the tech crew will cast projections onto the stage; the two projectors will provide visuals such as storm effects to certain scenes.
Tickets are on sale at showtix4u.com/event-details/57325 and can also be purchased at the door: $10 for students and $15 for adults. Kominski hopes to eventually sell a few hundred seats per night.

Ultimately, Kominski and the cast are happy to be back for in-person theatre. “The entire theatre industry really tried to make virtual theatre work, but it just didn’t,” said Kominski. “To be back in-person together, to have them performing in front of you and with you, is so powerful.”