The theater department faces challenges after water damage caused a hole in the stage in the midst of preparations for the fall musical The Little Mermaid, which is set to debut Oct. 27.

“Like any building, there’s some wear and tear after a while,” theater teacher and director Caroline Miller said. “We realized that there was water coming out from under the fire door, and because the stage is made of wood, the wood was absorbing that water and rotting over time.”

The rotted section of the stage had to be removed, leaving a section where people couldn’t stand or practice during rehearsals.

“I feel like our auditorium is already in a sad spot,” senior and performer Lillian Goodman said. “When you have an obstacle like that, you have to work around it, and people get confused later on. It’s just frustrating.”

While practicing, the program struggled to plan certain aspects of their performance due to the hole, according to senior and performer Claire King.

“We have so many people packed onto this tiny stage already,” King said. “If there’s this huge spot where people just can’t be, that messes with the arrangements and the choreography.”

Despite the obstacles, the program continues to rehearse for the show, and the tech crew has been able to continue as normal, according to junior and tech crew member Scarlett Edammudalige.

“I’d say it’s probably affected the performers more than tech,” Edammudalige said. “They actually need to be on stage to work.”

The damage was repaired Oct. 8, and though it caused frustrations, Goodman said the performers are still looking forward to putting on the musical.

“I get to play a villain, which is really fun,” Goodman said, “I am very excited.”

By Cora Pearson