Thaylin Maria soars (or swims) above Dayana Morales, Anthony Blatter, and Kimberly Nicole Harvey Photos by Morgan Sophia Photography)
By Jan Sjostrom
Playwright Jacqueline Goldfinger’s new family-friendly adaptation of The Little Mermaid bears little resemblance to Disney’s animated film or Hans Christian Andersen’s dark fairy tale.
Theatre Lab’s production at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton is a playful and imaginative celebration of family unity, courage and following your heart.
What’s more, as director Matt Stabile, the company’s producing artistic director, said in his welcome Sunday afternoon “this is a fun, silly show. We want you guys to laugh.”
Think a double-headed seahorse played by parents squeezed into a single bathrobe, glittering blue blankets masquerading as mermaids’ tails, and a message conveyed by a goofy song about something called the “wibble-wobbles.”
A fearless cast of skilled actors and Stabile’s sure-footed direction carry it off with wacky style aided by Nicole Perry’s seaworthy choreography.
The show opens the theater’s 10th year of producing new works. It’s the centerpiece of the company’s annual The Future PAGES Project youth education program.
The story unfolds in a bedroom that suggests a magical watery world, with touches such as rippling blue-striped wall paper and coral-like light patterns on the floor, thanks to Aubrey Kestell’s scenic design and George Horrocks’ lighting.
Thaylia Maria & Dayana Morales
In a performance that warms from slightly stagy to endearingly youthful, Thaylin Maria plays a young girl terrified by a thunderstorm raging outside her window. She wakes her older sister and begs her sibling to distract her with a story.
Led by Big Sister, in a sparkling performance by Dayana Morales, the girls grab props from around the room and start improvising their spin on The Little Mermaid, with the younger girl as the main character.
Their exuberance attracts the attention of Mom and Dad, who arrive with Charlie, an undefined relative but likely the girls’ brother.
Played by Kimberly Harvey and Anthony Blatter, the parents gamely suit up as several characters, including a nearly show-stealing double-headed seahorse guard reminiscent of a character from Alice in Wonderland.
Drafted as the Prince, Charlie, played with graceful cheer by Sabrin Diehl, pretends to drown in a shiny blue blanket doubling as water, before the Little Mermaid rescues him. Once he’s safe she flees, fearing the Prince, blessed with two beautiful legs, will think she’s “weird.”
Harvey and Blatter flex their comic muscles again as a commanding sorceress and a dancing shark when the mermaid gets lost. Singing the gently moralizing Wibble Wobble they urge her to look within to find her way. Their counsel strengthens the mermaid as she wavers between becoming human or remaining a mermaid.
The show whizzes by in an hour without intermission. It fulfills Stabile’s promise of fun and slips in a pat on the back for anyone in need of a lift.
The Little Mermaid plays through Sept. 29 in Parliament Hall, 777 Glades Road, on Florida Atlantic University’s Boca Raton campus. Performances are held at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays. Adult tickets cost $25 and come with up to two free student tickets. Additional student tickets are available for $5. Tickets – and season subscriptions – are available at fauevents.com or by calling 561-297-6124.
Thaylin Maria ia entertained by Dayana Morales, Kimberly Nicole Harvey, Sabrin Diehl, and Anthony Blatter in Theatre Lab’s uniquely reimagined The Little Mermaid
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