Hey guys, my name is Megan Gehl and I’m a sophomore! My interests include over-committing myself and eating copious amounts of ice cream in the 2-3 AM ballpark, but I also absolutely love art, theater, and music. When I’m not spending my time with the amazing drama club or choir, I swim for Homestead and Ozaukee Aquatics and enjoy doing volunteer work, looking into social activism, and hanging out with my dog Ed (aka the love of my life).
For HHS’s The Little Mermaid, I’m one of the mersisters, specifically Andrina! According to the Little Mermaid Fandom website (yes, I’m questioning why it exists too) I’m actually Ariel’s twin, which is a little messed up when you think about all the attention Triton gives her, but we won’t dwell on that.
What brought you to join the cast, crew, pit for The Little Mermaid?
Plays and musicals have always been absolutely magical to me! I love seeing a story come to life through spoken word, music, and dance and I thought it would be so amazing to be a part of that! Also, I saw the Pittle Mermaid’s twitter and couldn’t resist.
Do you have any stories from rehearsals, practices or crew sessions?
A personal favorite is definitely the time I almost fell into the pit trying to catch a cheese puff in my mouth or when David Blatz’s amazing solo made me cry like a baby because I have the emotional stability of a cucumber. Ooh, and also everything about having to run laps around the auditorium in a unitard (0/10 would not recommend).
All art comments on something, aligns itself with current issues. How does The Little Mermaid comment on current social or political issues and has it influenced you this winter?
I’d say that Flounder’s unrequited love for Ariel definitely struck a chord with me. In today’s world, mental dissociation or societal norms such as toxic masculinity can make it easy to ignore the emotional well-being of others for fear of sticking out or being seen as sensitive. It’s very very difficult to have deep feelings like that for someone and open yourself up, only to be disappointed by the response (if you’re reading this, Andrew B. Feldman, respond to my emails, I know you see them).
What do you hope the audience will be thinking about in the car as they drive home after this show?
How amazing all the aspects of the show were, from the beautiful costumes to the stunning set to the incredible music to the extremely talented actors. We’re so lucky to have Stage Crew, Costumes, and Pit in addition to the cast of the show and they deserve all the love and appreciation in the world for the hard work they put in!
What’s one thing that is different in this play or rehearsal process than anything else we’ve done in the Homestead Theatre Department?
This is actually my first time doing something with the theater department, so I can’t say for sure! Maybe allowing food in the black box? Definitely a fan of that.
Anything else you want to talk about?
*infomercial voice* Come see Homestead’s The Little Mermaid January 7-10th, you’ll have a great time!
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