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Melissa Rain Anderson has directed four stage productions of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, so this time she wanted to do something different.

“(In) every production, we have built upon new themes and new artistic acts,” she said on the Syracuse on Stage podcast. “It feels as fresh and new today as it did in 1989 when it made its debut.”

Anderson decided to reimagine her production of the show, which will be running at Syracuse Stage until Jan. 8 and is a collaboration between Syracuse Stage and the College of Visual and Performing Arts Department of Drama. By using acrobatic, aerial silk choreography, aimed to both maintain the nostalgia of the original and establish it as a timeless classic.

The production, which includes professional actors and Syracuse Drama students, was choreographed by Joshua Dean of Two Ring Circus, an aerial silk performance company. He said choreographing the musical was an important line to navigate, as he wanted to create a visually engaging, creative performance, but also needed to stay true to the story of the musical.

“The most important part is that it (the aerial silk choreography) is still story-forwarding, so all of the aerial moments help enhance the story,” Dean said in a behind-the-scenes video posted on the Syracuse Stage website.

Crystal Sha’nae, who plays Ursula, is a VPA Department of Drama alumna. She said performing in this production alongside drama students is a full-circle moment for her.

Sha’nae was incredibly impressed by the student actors — they’re young and passionate, just like she was at their age, she said. Now with more experience, Sha’nae said she tries to provide support to the budding actors.

“I’m having a ball,” Sha’nae said. “I hope I can give whatever is needed at the moment to these students.”

Anshul Roy | Staff Photographer

Sha’nae reflected on her time as both a student in the drama program and a woman of color. She said the environment at SU felt homogeneous and lacked diversity and representation. But she was proud and excited to see that the freshmen in the drama department are far more diverse.

“There were not a lot of brown people in the department, and it really gave me joy to look at the freshman wall to see (people of color) were getting opportunities,” she said.

Sha’nae said she’s thrilled to bring her interpretation of Ursula to Syracuse Stage. Maturing in her career has also bolstered her confidence as a performer, she said, so stepping into a leading role like Ursula is empowering.

Sha’nae said she is digging deep into character development in order to portray Ursula’s complexity and foster her own creative vision of the character.

“I try to approach her from the realm of ‘not the villain,’” she said. “That she’s complex, that all of her actions have come from somewhere.”

As the director, Anderson continued to praise her cast, specifically the SU students who are part of the production.

“The students are really rising to the occasion, which is so charming and I’m so proud of them already and it’s really astounding,” she said. “I learn from the students just as much as I learn from the adults every day.”

With the recent news of Disney’s live-action remake, it might seem like a coincidence that this production is occurring now, but she said the inspiration for the current Little Mermaid production was the message behind the story.

“It is an incredible journey. I think there is something for everybody,” Anderson said. “You’re going to have a connection to family. You’re going to have a connection to going after what you believe is your truth. You’re going to have a connection to that gorgeous score that we all know and love from the movie.”

Published on November 28, 2022 at 11:42 pm