"The Little Mermaid" opens on August 14
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
T he moving tale of "The Little Mermaid," with all its twists and turns, ending happily ever after, will be acted by the Theatre Workshop of Nantucket's Resident and Children's Theatre Conservatory Camp companies in six performances beginning on August 14 at Bennett Hall.

The mermaid, who lives beneath the sea, was told by her father, King Neptune, that for her 15th birthday she could swim to the surface. When she does, she sees the handsome Prince Theodore aboard his ship and is attracted to him. The grumpy Sea Witch is annoyed, however, because the prince's ship is disturbing her sleep, so she causes his ship to crash.

The little mermaid saves the prince and he wakes up to hear her sweet voice, but is in a bit of a haze and cannot see her face. The Sea Witch had told the mermaid that she could have her grandest birthday wish. The mermaid then asks to be transformed into a real woman so she can be with the prince. The witch agrees, but in exchange for giving the mermaid legs, she takes away her voice and tells her that if the prince marries another, the mermaid will be turned into sea foam and disappear for all time.

When the prince is fully awake, he sees Georgina, a peasant girl, who he believes is the one who saved him. He asks for her hand in marriage, but she is in love with someone else. And although the mermaid and prince meet when he is awake, because she cannot speak, he does not know that she was his rescuer. In the meantime, the Sea Witch has turned herself into a real woman but arrives at the prince's palace with an antidote that will restore her to a sea creature.

Quick as lightning, the little mermaid grabs the vial and smashes it, causing the witch to become foam when she reenters the sea. Another vial the witch brought contains the stolen mermaid's voice. She drinks it, receives her voice again and the prince understands she saved him and marries her to live in love for their remaining days.

The mermaid is played by Brittany Beatty from Pennsylvania. The prince is portrayed by Joshua Williams of Cortland, N.Y., the Sea Witch is Annie Duckett of Philadelphia and Georgina is Nantucket's Sarah Poor. Six island children will be included in the show as mermaids and as Lord Seaweed, King Neptune's assistant. The Lord is Adrian Goode. The mermaids are Ava Geddes, Mary Goode, Sage Geddes, Katherine McGinnis and Eliza Berman.

Curtain is at 2 p.m. on Aug. 14, 15, 20, 21, 27 and 28. Tickets are $12 for kids and $15 for adults. This show is underwritten by The Nantucket Golf

Club Foundation. I