Four shows. Three months. Two co-directors. One stage. This year, Sutton Middle School’s annual collaboration with North Atlanta High School students brought the magical story of The Little Mermaid Jr. to life. Whether it was the chemistry between Ariel and Prince Eric, Sebastian’s unforgettable humor, or the chills that Ursula left crawling down your spine, the play directed by NAHS students kept audiences hooked from the beginning to the end.
Before the show started, seniors Chloe Ashford and Avery Austin walked up and stood proudly on stage, the spotlight highlighting the moment they had been waiting for all these years to achieve. The two have been inseparable since sixth grade, when they first met in Sutton’s production of Matilda. Since then, they have collaborated many times, making this play a symbol of their long relationship forged through the arts. The inspiration for choosing this year’s fall musical came from Ashford watching the 2023 adaptation of The Little Mermaid and admiring how different it was from the original film, especially in terms of color scheme and diversity. With this vision in mind, she made sure every detail was carefully planned, creating a production that was both colorful and fun to watch. “I loved getting to be creative with people that are just as creative as me,” Ashford said.
Junior Mariia Nedak, one of the assistant directors for the production, has been passionate about theatre from a very young age. She began her training at just seven years old at FantaziaNew, a theater school in Kyiv, Ukraine, where she had the opportunity to specialize in a variety of dance styles. After moving to the United States, she attended Sutton Middle School in eighth grade and was cast as Babette in Beauty and the Beast. Once she began attending North Atlanta High School, she expanded her behind-the-scenes experience, serving as assistant choreographer in ninth grade and props master in tenth grade. This year in her role, she ensured that all departments stayed on track, especially during performances. “Whether it was adjusting the set or fixing a costume, I was there to make sure everything ran smoothly,” Nedak said.
From carefully constructing King Triton’s throne to building parts of the ship the sailors were on, the set department faced the demanding task of making sure every design supported the flow of each scene. Overseeing and helping run the set department was junior Lida Collins. Her three years at North Atlanta and two at Sutton gave her the experience to take on the role’s responsibilities confidently. With just one full run-through before the show, she worked to make every set transition seamless despite the pressure. She also played a major part in giving an “all clear” when her side was set up properly, signaling the lights to end the black or blue out. In the end, she felt that all her hard work was worth it. “With how dedicated we all are, it feels like we have become one big family,” Collins said.
As the cast took their final bow and the crew waved to the audience on Saturday night, it marked not just the end of the performance, but a recognition of all the effort, practice, and collaboration that made the production possible.
