Stepping (swimming?) into the space, you are thrust into a seaside tavern where wenches and sailors lure you to your seats. A rowdy troupe of bar musicians cheers and strums through a set of rousing shanties before laying down the house rules in a pastiche of the classic sea-faring tune “Drunken Sailor.”

Among the many takeaways from Area Stage Company’s enchanting immersive production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” are these two points:  You can tell a familiar story in wonderful new ways, and you don’t need a drop of real water to create an undersea world.

Area Stage’s production of The Little Mermaid is getting off to a swimmingly great start as of this week’s first previews! Not only were audiences amazed by the show, but we captured the interest of several major news outlets, including WTVJ 6, WPLG 10, Telemundo 51, and last but not least, WSVN 7’s entertainment show, Deco Drive.

One of the biggest reasons that Giancarlo Rodaz has made such a big splash in South Florida theatre is how skillfully his work has incorporated immersivity— the up and coming genre that only seems to be on the rise!

Area Stage is proud to announce that Giancarlo Rodaz is it’s new Artistic Director. This decision comes in recognition of Rodaz’ major successes over the past few years at the helm of the company’s mainstage productions.