When Sanford Middle Schooler Belinda Rivard was in elementary school, she saw her older sister perform theater under the guidance of SMS teacher Adam Bellefeuille.
Rivard said seeing her sister on the big stage was one of the reasons why she wanted to join the theater program once she reached middle school.
"I went to one show that she did and knew immediately that I wanted to do it," Rivard said.
Rivard will show her skills this weekend at the Performing Arts Center. She is playing the role of Grimsby in The Little Mermaid Jr. Opening night for the public for The Little Mermaid Jr. is Friday night, April 28th, at 7 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center.
Tickets are available to the general public at the door (cash only) for $8.00 per adult and $6.00 for students and seniors.
The Little Mermaid Jr. is a stage musical based on the animated 1989 Disney film of the same name about a mermaid who dreams of the world above the sea and gives up her voice to find love. The Sanford Middle School Theatre Troupe is putting on the show behind the efforts of Mr. Bellefeuille.
The cast and crew have worked tirelessly since auditions back in December. Mr. Bellefeuille said hundreds of hours had been put into getting everything ready for Friday's showtime for the general public.
The cast has been working on memorizing lines and blocking. The crew has been responsible for many aspects of the production, including setting up equipment, managing the lighting and audio, and more.
Ava Fagan plays the lead of Princess Ariel and is excited about the opportunity to perform in front of the community on Friday.
"I'm looking forward to people seeing our acting and singing and dancing," Fagan said. "I think people are going to enjoy that."
For Fagan, performing on stage has been a passion for her for a long time.
"I've always wanted to do acting," Fagan said. "I heard about the theater program and was like, 'I needed to join.'"
Jack Van Gieson is playing the role of Prince Eric. Van Gieson has been involved in theater since second grade and expects his hard work over the past months to pay off on Friday.
"I'm pretty excited," Van Gieson said. "I'm a little nervous, but it will be a lot of fun."
Rivard, Fagan, and Van Gieson have all enjoyed the process of working together and getting ready for the weekend. But more importantly, each said they had made connections during production that they wouldn't have generally made if they didn't join the theater program.
"This is my last year here, and I have a lot of friends here that I probably would not have had if I didn't do it," Rivard said. "Luckily, I can do it in high school, so that's exciting."