The Little Mermaid Cast at Myers reflects on staying motivated during Quarantine!

• Kevin Ray Johnson

I think we can all agree that 2020 has been something no one was prepared for. It has changed the course of everyone's lives as well as the theatre business as a whole. There are a lot of amazing artists who are all trying to figure out "what's next?". For Myers Dinner Theatre in Hillsboro, Indiana, they are preparing (on and off the stage) for their upcoming production of The Little Mermaid. They are taking all the possible precautions to make sure that not only the guests feel safe but the cast, crew, and everyone involved as well. 

During my time at home, I have had a lot of time to reflect on my life and career, and the one thing I will be doing is not taking any opportunity for granted from now on. Myers Dinner Theatre Artistic Director Jeremy Littlejohn will be directing this Disney Classic, and this show coming at this time is definitely something he is feeling quite happy and fortunate about.  

"It isn't lost on me how fortunate we are to put up a show when so many in our industry are out of work.  I am old enough to have seen the Disney cartoon in the movie theater, and I will admit that when I selected the show, it was mainly for a bit of nostalgia that I believed would also resonate with our audience." Says Jeremy who had the chance during quarantine to dive into the text more. He adds "I've come across several themes that can apply to the times we are living in, none greater than the power of putting old prejudices to bed, and learning to accept people's differences."  

With Donna Myers serving as Executive Producer and Littlejohn Directing, Sarah Philabaum and John D. Phillips will serve as Choreographer and Music Director respectively.

The cast will feature Jocelyn Lonquist as Ariel, Wendell Hester as Prince Eric, Natasha Ricketts as Ursula, Leonard Harris as Sebastian, Kevin Ray Johnson as King Triton, Grace Lorton as Flounder, Preston Dildine as Scuttle, Tyler Bowlin as Flotsam, Edmund Castle as Jetsam, Don Hart as Grimsby, Mahlon Nevitt as Chef Louis and Bill Rubenstein as The Pilot. Rounding out the cast will be Hannah Rose Rivette (Aquata), Sophie Miller (Andrina), Emma Wright (Arista), Victoria Abston (Atina), DRae Beller (Adella), Reagan Minnette (Allana) as the Daughters of Triton.  

Jordyn Cozart will be the Production Stage Manger along with Gary Michael serving as Technical Director. 

I reached out to some of the cast as well as members of the crew and asked them two questions:

1.) if you could describe how you feel about performing on stage in one word what would that word be? 

2.)What advice would you give fellow and aspiring artists to keep them motivated about their craft when everything around them isn't going their way?

Here are some of their answers - 

Jeremy Littlejohn (Director)

- Predestination. I have always believed that theater is what I was placed on this planet for. Like all theatre professionals, I've tried plenty of other jobs over the years, but without fail, they all felt wrong.  It is only in the theatre that I have truly lived.

- Stay strong!  Trying to make a living in the theatre industry requires quite a lot of fortitude. It is not for the faint of heart.  You have to allow yourself to become comfortable with failure on a regular basis, and prevent those feelings from knocking you off course. I've been doing theatre professionally for a quarter of a century, and I can say definitively that only the strong survive! 

Jordyn Cozart (Production Stage Manager)

- Passionate! 

- Things through the process are going to change, that’s just how theatre goes, and that’s okay. Everything happens for a reason, and the adjustments don’t have to be a bad thing. 

Jocelyn Longquist (Ariel)

- Electrifying.

- Find the stories, melodies, and lyrics that stir your heart and inspire you. Make art for you because you love it and it ignites your passion, even in a time when live theatre has slowed down for a bit or you have faced rejection. I feel the most motivated when I am singing material that is meaningful to me knowing that it's only a matter of time before I will have the chance to share it with others. And lastly, remind yourself and believe that YOU ARE ENOUGH. You have something unique to share with this world that only you are equipped to do. Don't hide it, share it! 

Wendell Hester (Prince Eric)

- Growth. Every role has lead to a new experience for me, and there is ALWAYS something to take from it. Whether it's technique for acting, singing, dancing, or becoming a more rounded person, there is never a reason to stop growing and learning from others.

- You can only do your very best, and you can't control everything and everyone. As long as you know that you've gone out there and given it your all, the world will give back to you. It may take some time, and it can be tough, but it makes it all the more worthwhile when you gain success.

Natasha Ricketts (Ursula)

- Everything. It’s everything I want to feel. It’s every feeling, emotion, bead of sweat, laugh, and cry that I live to feel. The feeling of Performing is everything.

- You will never regret being patient with yourself. There is no time-stamp on theater. Age can often be a positive happenstance. You learn with every contract and grow with every character. Work on yourself, and have patience that your hard work will pay off today, tomorrow, or even years down the road. Theater is worth it. 

Leonard Harris (Sebastian)

- Exhilarating. That feeling of energy that comes from the stage and combines with everyone's in the room is indescribable. It’s what connects and fuels our passion, and it’s something that can only be felt to comprehend. 

- Don’t ever lose your light. We, as thespians, have the task of sharing ourselves and giving our lives to those around us. When the world is dark and scary, it’s our jobs to remind others and ourselves that there is still hope and beauty in the world. Only about 2% of the world's population can do what we do. There’s something special about that. Let that uniqueness continue to keep that passion burning, and don’t ever let someone snuff it out. 

Sophie Miller (Adrina)

- Magical. Everything from becoming a character to making a story come to life is truly extraordinary and pure magic. 

- Reflect back on why you yourself chose to pursue the arts. Many of the stories, movies, plays, musicals, etc. have a message worth telling. It is for those who have yet to hear this message and need to, that you keep chasing your passion. 

Edmund Castle (Jetsam)

- Nice!

- My favorite thing to do is think of someone that you can relate to career-wise, and imagine where they were at your age! Everyone has to start somewhere! Pete Davidson said it best, "I mean like who has ever met someone really good at guitar whose only played for a year?" Think of how far you've come and how much further you're going to go!

Emmie Wright (Arista)

- Freeing! 

- I feel like every artist approaches a time in their career when things start looking uncertain or aren’t going the right way, and I feel like what’s helped me is really learning to love the process! Art feels complete to us with the end product, but there’s so much beauty in getting to that point! So even when things aren’t turning out the way we want them to, we can still love where we are and what we’re growing to be. 

Mahlon Nevitt (Chef Louis)

- Exhilarating. The greatest feeling to me is standing onstage and making people laugh, and the worst feeling is going onstage and totally bombing! So every opportunity is high risk/high reward, and I find that exhilarating. 

- Prepare and have fun. It’s amazing how much better your performance is when you’re having fun versus when you’re not. So as long as you know what your doing and you’ve really put in the work, then all you have to do is enjoy your craft, and you will have a good performance/audition!

DRae Beller (Adella)

- Free. When I’m onstage, I feel free to transform or free to be myself in moments. I can do what I want and make people happy while doing it. 

- Know that you are enough and that you’re on the stage for a reason. You should find happiness in what you’re doing and always shut the negative out while you are doing what you love! 

Preston Dildine (Scuttle)

- Cathartic.

- Be as stubborn as the circumstances. Fight the dark, push back against the negative, and shine your light as brightly as possible. This may sound trite, but it’s the best way I see to keep yourself afloat and happy as a performer. There will be a lot to be unhappy about. Attitude is everything. Push back against the negative. 

Hannah Rose Rivette (Aquata)

- Vulnerable.

-  Even though everything is constantly changing right now, it is important to do whatever YOU need to do because there is no “right” way to be an artist. Also, finding an activity outside of theatre that brings you happiness is a great way to take care of yourself when everything feels uncertain. This could be anything from reading a book to taking a walk to meditation or anything you can think of. Allowing yourself the time each day to do something other than theatre that brings you joy prevents you from feeling burned out and unmotivated. 

Tyler Bowlin (Flotsam)

- Liberated.

- Just remember you do this because you love it! it’s totally normal to feel the blow of losses, but finding growth through those experiences and otherwise will keep you evolving as an artist! 

The Little Mermaid opens on July 11th and runs until August 2nd. Myers Dinner Theatre is located at 108 N Water St, Hillsboro, IN 47949.

"I'm ecstatic to get back to work, and I can't think of a better piece of theatre to welcome our patrons back!" Says Jeremy Littlejohn! 

For more information including tickets, make sure you visit - https://myersdt.com