On the outside, it seems like she has it all. She has jewels and riches galore. But she wants more. She doesn’t belong in her world, and longs to be “up where the people are.” That’s right–your favorite mermaid is coming to Jefferson. On Sep. 28, auditions for “The Little Mermaid” fall production began.

Jennifer Lowery, the choir teacher and sponsor of all the extracurricular choirs such as Show Choir and Sirens, picked “The Little Mermaid” to be this year’s annual first semester play. Through theater class, Lowery provided extra preparation time to go over the different songs and monologues and ask her questions. For those not in her theater class, they were welcomed during lunch for extra help, especially if auditioning for lead roles such as Ariel, Prince Eric, or Sebastian.

Given sheet music and a script before hand, each student was asked to rehearse outside of school to prepare themselves for the auditions.

At the auditions, each performer was asked to perform monologues in front of Lowery, as well as sing with the piano accompaniment. Even in the seemingly stressful situation, the vibe of the audition room was always positive, with laughing students all around.

Regardless of past theater experience, TJ Drama is always looking for new talents and welcomes newcomers to at least consider auditioning for the chorus. The theater is a great way for students to be able to express themselves in ways that they didn’t feel was possible before.

“I find plays fun. I’m kind of a loud, talkative person sometimes, and the stage is a place where I can do that,” senior Pierce Stegman said. “And most of the time, I get to be someone I’m not, which is always fun and interesting.”

Along with cast members and directors, there are also behind-the-scenes crew members who help with the props, costumes, decorations, and lightings (just to name a few). Theater students have found that participating in plays have been extremely rewarding experiences.

“Since I was in ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ last year so I know how much fun it is to be in a play. I’m looking forward to hanging out with my friends and putting on a great performance in the winter,” junior Timothy Chan said.