Dartmouth Middle School goes 'under the sea'
Ariel (Layla Ruiz) inspects a 'dinglehopper.' Photos by Kat Sheridan
The main cast of The Little Mermaid, Jr. 
Ursula (Lauren Rose-Wells) with her eels Flotsam and Jetsam (Gracie Rezendes and Isabella Silva.)
Grimsby (Hudson Igisomar), Prince Eric (Julian Lazaro) and Scuttle (Nyah Suarez) pose onstage.
Sebastian (Nicolas Faria,) Ariel (Layla Ruiz,) and Flounder (Julia Thomas.)
Ariel (Layla Ruiz) inspects a 'dinglehopper.' Photos by Kat Sheridan
The main cast of The Little Mermaid, Jr.
Ursula (Lauren Rose-Wells) with her eels Flotsam and Jetsam (Gracie Rezendes and Isabella Silva.)
Grimsby (Hudson Igisomar), Prince Eric (Julian Lazaro) and Scuttle (Nyah Suarez) pose onstage.
Sebastian (Nicolas Faria,) Ariel (Layla Ruiz,) and Flounder (Julia Thomas.)
They’ve got gadgets and gizmos aplenty. They have whoozits and whatzits galore. You want thingamabobs? They’ve got 20. But who cares? No big deal. They want more- specifically, they want to show off their talents!
The Dartmouth Middle School is putting on “The Little Mermaid, Jr.”
“Everuone will recognize many of the songs from the original movie, plus several from the original Broadway version,” said Alex Bernado, the drama club director.
This year is the largest play for the middle school, with 46 students in the play for a total of almost 60 people involved in putting together the performance.
“I’ve been here for sixth grade, seventh grade and eighth grade and I just wanted to come back, see what it’s all about and have one fun year,” said Nicolas Faria, who plays Sebastian.
The sets are the biggest they’ve ever been, with beloved scenes such as Ursala’s lair and Ariel’s grotto. With many students playing multiple roles, there’s almost 100 costumes.
“I was really excited because Ursula is one of my dream roles,” said Lauren Rose-Wells, who plays Ursula, “It’s really fun.”
The staff, which include teachers and parents, created almost everything for the play. The sets were built by the technical director, Adam Desjardins, and painted by the art teacher. The co-director, Karen McDaid, designed the costumes.
“It’s a really good experience because it’s more competitive and it challenged myself,” said Julian Lazaro, who plays Prince Eric.
The students love the show as well, with some of the favorites being “Part of Your World,” “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” “Under the Sea” and “One Step Closer.”
“I put myself out there and I followed my dream,” said Layla Ruiz, who plays Ariel.
The crew is friendly, joking around with each other and Bernado and the rest of the crew.
“They find their niche, they find that it’s fun. They know what it’s like to have, in this case, 40-something people depending on you because just one person not being in their place throws everyone off.” said Bernado.
He added, “Many cases, lifelong friendships. And it’s also just lots of fun.”
There will be two showings; Friday, March 20 at 7 pm and Saturday, March 21st at 2 pm. The middle school is located at 366 Slocum Road. Tickets are $15 for adults, and $10 for students and seniors.
