Little Mermaid Jr.

The Little Mermaid Jr.

Actor’s Studio – Spring 2026

Role: Technical Director, Scenic & Lighting Designer

Staging a massive, multi-location musical like The Little Mermaid Jr. inside a tight black box theater meant we had to get creative. We didn't have the space for traditional, bulky set pieces or slow scene changes, so we relied on total environmental immersion, precise projection mapping, and some really fun, outside-the-box prop builds to bring the ocean to life.

Bringing the Ocean into the Classroom

To make the audience feel like they were under water the second they walked in, we painted the entire seating area to look like sand and deep ocean currents.

• The Multitasking Platform: Space was tight, so a single elevated platform at the back of the room had to do it all—serving as Prince Eric’s ship, Ariel's grotto, and the island beach.

• Dialing in the Projections: To handle the script's rapid location changes without cluttering the stage, we flanked the main platform with two 4′×8′ flats. We mounted two 5K laser projectors in the ceiling and used QLab to map the images perfectly to the boards, tuning the geometry so there was absolutely zero light bleed onto the classroom walls. To keep up with the fast-paced transitions, my coworker used Gemini AI to rapidly design the digital backgrounds.

Upcycled Props & Special Effects

When you don't have a massive stage, your props have to do the heavy lifting to tell the story.

• The "Kiss the Girl" Pedal Boat: We found a tiny, beat-up boat on Facebook Marketplace, cut the bottom out of it, and rigged a blue fabric skirt around the frame. The actors could basically "wear" it like a pedal cart, walking it smoothly around the space during the lagoon scene.

• Ursula's 3D-Printed Cauldron: For Ursula's lair, I wanted something cartoon-accurate and creepy. I had my buddy Joe Parsley (from Average Joe's 3D Printing) print a massive, 3-foot-wide cauldron shell covered in teeth and tentacles, which we mounted onto an old bird-bath base.

• The DIY Details: To flesh out the tentacles, we upcycled pool noodles and a pink-painted suction-cup bath mat for realistic texture. Inside, we stuffed it with LED pixie lights and translucent pillow stuffing for an eerie glow, then hid a wireless photography fog machine inside so a tech backstage could trigger bursts of smoke whenever Ursula cast a spell.