A performance at PCO is where all dreams come true, even a mermaid’s dream. Audiences dove into the underwater world of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, the annual spring musical. While the The Little Mermaid is known for its colorful sets, award winning songs, and the love story of Ariel and Eric. This production was made special because of the PCO drama students, tech crew, and directors. They brought this story to life for everyone who got to experience it whether behind the scenes or in the audience.
“Having the team of talented performing arts teachers we have at PCO is what makes this experience worth doing every single year. To put it simply, a musical is far too complicated for one teacher to do well alone. The quality of the show we are able to put on is due to the fact that there are so many hand working, brilliant, creative, and talented teachers contributing at every point. Our students are also dedicated to making these shows spectacular. They give their time and talent almost exclusively for 2 months,” theater director Colleena Dees said.
In addition to the teachers that work so hard for the productions, the students’ impact is just as spectacular. Teamwork and creativity are a strong combination for success.
“It’s the cast members, the directors, the stage tech, the costumes, set pieces, and props that make the show. When everyone comes together and puts their hard work into it, that is how PCO made this performance come to life. A big thanks to Mr. Flemming because the set? The backdrops? The lights? It was so good and really helped all of us tell this story of everything that happened under the sea and even above the sea. Everyone took their time out of their own day and night making sure lines, dances, costumes, sets, and etc, were top notch and the best that they could be and we put on another amazing show.” senior La’Niaya Williams said.
Although the show was successfully put on, there were a lot of obstacles. Between the unpredictable winter weather and missed school days, they still made it happen.
“PCO theater made me think that anything is possible since we did this production in a short amount of time because of the snow days. Despite the time crunch, a performance was delivered successfully and everyone worked hard.” senior Essence King said.
Undoubtedly PCO performing arts is full of great experiences and great people, who strived to make the show amazing. The amount of hard work that was put into this show should not go unnoticed.
“Working as the light operator for The Little Mermaid made me realize just how much work goes into making a show look good. It gave me a whole new appreciation for theater- not just for the actors but for the whole crew behind the scenes. All in all, it was such a cool experience, and I’d love to work on another show in the future, perhaps even be part of the cast.” junior Paloma De Loera Gutierrez said.
PCO performing arts makes all things possible despite anything that was thrown in their way, whether on stage or behind it.
“PCO really made this production come to life by the amazing set made by the tech crew, as well as the fun we had on stage! I feel we did an amazing job portraying the message and the storyline of The Little Mermaid, showing our audience that everyone can find a place where they belong!” junior Izabella Hogan said.