King Middle School's fabulous production of the classic tale “The Little Mermaid” marked the final theatrical show of the academic year. The play marks the first students-chosen script, an episodic piece that required full cooperation among the 21 actors, 10 student crew members, and four backstage adults to make the magic happen. 

“Having this experience was so much fun and so rewarding for me,” said Audrey Asnes ’29. “To see myself and my peers grow as actors, dancers, and singers was the cherry on top of a great time.”

According to the show’s director and Performing Arts teacher, Amy Darnton, students faced two hurdles in producing the play. The first was carving out time in their busy schedules to learn the parts. The second was tackling the material itself.  

“It's a challenge to do an iconic show like ‘The Little Mermaid,’ which most people have seen in multiple iterations,” said Darnton. “It's challenging to help the students understand we are creating the King production and that it may not be much like the others they have seen. It's also a challenge to help young actors develop their own characterizations and not just mimic what they know.”

Middle School is a time of searching for personal and communal identity. Darnton said the theater program strives to create a safe environment for students to learn about themselves and others by exploring the human stories in the play.  

“At its core, theater is about human connection,” Danton said. “Making theater in middle school is one of the best ways for students to challenge themselves to explore human connection and develop the courage to take their place in the community.”

Audrey found growth both personally and as an actor by finding similarities with her character. 

“Ariel is very happy to be where she is, but most of the time wishes she were elsewhere,” Audrey explained. “Because Ariel is upset with her father, that meant that I, too, should display that emotion. But I found it hard to make it seem that I was upset because I am always trying to please people and make sure nobody takes anything personally. Eventually, I got there, and I think along the way, I improved my acting skills, too.”

This evolution is exactly what the middle school theater program aims to achieve as it challenges students to grow by stepping into the shoes of a character or developing an understanding of the art of running a show as a crew member.

Phoebe Coulombe ’30 said she found joy and connection while working with her peers on the show. 

“One thing that stood out to me was when we were all just singing and dancing to ‘Under the Sea’ and just having fun,” said Phoebe. “I think being in the play made me realize that friends don't have to just be your age. I made a lot of friendships that I hadn't had before.”

Watch the afternoon cast performance on YouTube here.

Watch the night cast performance on YouTube here.

View all photos from The Little Mermaid Jr. here.