On March 20-22, members of the community will be welcomed to watch the production of The Little Mermaid brought by the Poland Players. Putting this play together took hard work and dedication from the people involved, so I wanted to get some insight on what steps the Poland Players took when preparing for this play. 

First, I wanted to discuss whether or not the cast felt like they were properly prepared for this production and what they could’ve done to better coordinate this play.

Junior Delany Cozart felt that “we could’ve ordered costumes sooner, and I think the band could have started practicing earlier. A lot of issues came up with roles too, as some people were unable to continue with theatre, and we had to find replacements. But in terms of what we had control over, I think we prepared pretty well.”

Junior Celia Fleet also said, “ I think, like most plays and musicals we’ve done, we work hard but don’t truly realize how much that work has paid off until the end. Now that we’re wrapping up rehearsals, it’s incredible to see it all come together. At this point, the best way for us to improve is through the little things such as working on our facial expressions, being on top of our set changes, and taking advice from people who come and watch the show during our rehearsals.”

Overall, she felt like despite the improvements that may be needed the whole crew worked very hard to put this big production together, and it is exciting to see it all come together. 

Next, I talked with the cast to get their perspective on what their favorite part about preparing for this play was. Junior Delaney Cozart felt that her favorite part was “ …talking to my friends and filling in for people.”

She also enjoyed “…filling in for people because it’s an opportunity to sing all the songs, and nobody can get mad at you for messing up since it’s not your job anyways.”

 Junior Celia Fleet felt that her favorite part of preparing for this production was “…watching us all intentionally work every day to improve our parts and our characters. Along with that, it’s so fun to slowly incorporate things such as sets and costumes into the production.”

I also wanted to hear from the cast members whether or not they recommended joining the Poland Players.

Senior Gavin Matthew said, “The Poland Players is great because of its leniency. I know sports are very harsh and critical when it comes to attendance. Though we want you to be here and attendance becomes mandatory when it comes close to showing, the group is understanding of other responsibilities.”

He also added that “…there’s a lot of opportunities for creativity.”

Finally, I talked to some of the students to get their opinions on what makes this particular production so special compared to previous ones.

According to Celia Fleet, “…This play is so special because it is such a memorable story as well as incredibly fun. The whole tone of “The Little Mermaid” is lighthearted and enjoyable and I have personally enjoyed every moment of rehearsing it.”

Building off of that, Gavin Matthew said that “…this one is new, refreshing, and known by the whole community”

The Poland Players are thrilled to present the community with the production of “The Little Mermaid,” and they hope to see you there. Join the Poland Players on March 20th- 22nd to see all of their hard work and dedication come together.