Spring Production: Saltwater Song
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One of Read Play Love's most popular original musicals, SALTWATER SONG, returns for an all-new cast and production for Spring 2026! In keeping with RPL's tradition, we write our shows so that every child participating has a role created especially for them.
Quick links: Click the areas below to expand for more details. |
WHAT ARE THE KEY DATES?
- Performances: April 24, 25, 26 at WAG (Wylie Acting Group)
- Free Workshops: Feb 12 & 13. Get a taste of RPL Theatre and learn a song from the production. RSVP for the workshops here.
- Auditions: Feb 12 & 13, before and after the Free Workshops. Open to ages 4-19, and every child participating gets a role created for them. Sign up for an audition slot here.
- Rehearsals: Rehearsals begin Feb 19, during timeslots on Thursdays and Fridays. Some roles may requite rehearsals on both days. See below for full details about rehearsal expectations.
About the Show
At Read Play Love, we write our shows for two reasons: first, so that a role can be created for every child, and second, so that we can celebrate rich storytelling with affirming, positive messages for our kids. Many of our musicals are inspired by literature in the public domain, to which we give an original narrative twist. This is how we bring the "Read" in "Read Play Love" to life, encouraging exposure to the classics and a general love for books and learning.
The Back Story of SALTWATER SONG: In 2017, I was reading the original Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, "The Little Mermaid," curious if there was something in the source material that was different than the Disney version that we all know. This line stuck with me – “But a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers so much more.”
I was intrigued by the idea of connecting the depth of the ocean and the depth of emotion into a story, but I wasn't finding a way to tie in the original fairy tale with a twist that felt right. Then Tony saw a minor news story about a young man who lost his life saving a little boy from drowning, and he was so moved by the story that he wrote a song about sacrifice. This song - including the lyric, "The very best of us come to rescue the rest of us," inspired the story.
The Back Story of SALTWATER SONG: In 2017, I was reading the original Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, "The Little Mermaid," curious if there was something in the source material that was different than the Disney version that we all know. This line stuck with me – “But a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers so much more.”
I was intrigued by the idea of connecting the depth of the ocean and the depth of emotion into a story, but I wasn't finding a way to tie in the original fairy tale with a twist that felt right. Then Tony saw a minor news story about a young man who lost his life saving a little boy from drowning, and he was so moved by the story that he wrote a song about sacrifice. This song - including the lyric, "The very best of us come to rescue the rest of us," inspired the story.
Saltwater Song is a family friendly ocean adventure built on the themes of empathy, compassion, and sacrifice....with lots of fun and laughter, too! This will be the third time we've produced it, and the characters are different every time (see a number from the 2017 production below.) This production is exciting because Mr. Tony is doing new musical arrangements for the songs, and we can't wait to introduce them!
🎶You can listen to a few of the new arrangements here!
Scroll down to the Synopsis section to read the story. and the different character groups from previous productions.
🎶You can listen to a few of the new arrangements here!
Scroll down to the Synopsis section to read the story. and the different character groups from previous productions.
WHAT DOES IT COST?
- Production Fees
- Fees are due prior to the first rehearsal, February 19, unless other arrangements are made
- Fees are paid at this link
- Non-Member Production Fees: $270/1 child. $100 per additional child
- Discounted RPL Member Fees: $90/1 child, $130/2 children, $170 for 3+ children.
- Click here for info about RPL Membership.
- Other costs:
🍭A Concessions Donation of $15 per family, due April 1.
👗Costume costs - parents work together to decide and make everything as cost-effective as possible, often using shared, donated, or secondhand materials to keep costs minimum and much less expensive than other theatre production opportunities
📑Script - Each actor who reads is responsible for the printing and binding of their script at their own cost. For music, we will send song links of MP3 tracks, which you can download to a playlist
🎟️Tickets to the live shows and livestreaming access are reserved by donations of any amount
🪙Optional Fundraisers, such as t-shirts, photobooks, raffles, and silent auctions, are optional and up to the discretion of each family.
📅If you are interested, here is the schedule for the 8-Week Homeschool Mini-Mester that runs concurrently with rehearsals. All classes are free to RPL Members
HOW DO AUDITIONS WORK?
First and foremost: RPL auditions are designed to be fun and empowering experiences for kids of all ages. And best of all, every child not only gets a role, but a part that is specifically designed and tailored for them!
As we produce our own original musicals, we can freely adjust script and songs to give every child a chance to shine.
We see auditions as an opportunity to get to know each child, and connect with them 1:1 to celebrate their individual personality. We love seeing returning RPL performers come back with expanded confidence with each audition! We also love welcoming new kids and getting to know them in a safe and encouraging environment. When it's a child's first audition experience, we go out of our way to make it an ultra-positive one!
Some notes about the audition process:
Preparing for the Audition
As we produce our own original musicals, we can freely adjust script and songs to give every child a chance to shine.
We see auditions as an opportunity to get to know each child, and connect with them 1:1 to celebrate their individual personality. We love seeing returning RPL performers come back with expanded confidence with each audition! We also love welcoming new kids and getting to know them in a safe and encouraging environment. When it's a child's first audition experience, we go out of our way to make it an ultra-positive one!
Some notes about the audition process:
- Reservations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis via this audition sign-up form.
- Children age 4-19 are welcome to audition for this production. From tots to teens, our goal is to make auditions a fun, empowering experience where the kids feel great!
- We are looking for the pre-teens and tweens who can play characters with emotional maturity, as well as the playful younger kids of all ages for all kinds of fun and magical roles! From magical to mysterious, from entertaining to enchanting, there's a role to be created for everyone!
- Audition times are conveniently scheduled before and after our Free Workshops on February 12-13.
- Attendees to the Free Workshops are welcome to audition if time as available, but if you want to guarantee a timeslot, we recommend signing up ahead of time.
- Siblings can share a timeslot, but keep in mind that the timeslots are 10 minutes each. For new families, we recommend each sibling having their own timeslot.
- Parents can be in the room while children audition or not - we like to leave it up to the child to decide.
- Parents will be given paperwork to complete at auditions, to submit personal conflicts & agree to participation guidelines.
- Parents are welcome to ask questions during the audition slot, or can email Marney at any time at [email protected]
- In-person auditions are preferred, but we also will accept video auditions if attending Feb 12-13 is not possible. If you plan to submit a video, please contact Ms. Marney at [email protected]
Preparing for the Audition
- To prepare, we simply ask each child to sing any song of their choice, with a maximum length of 1:30.
- Singing a song from SALTWATER SONG is optional, but we offer it as a possibility for children who may be motivated to learn something new! Go to this page for song excerpts. 🌊🎶
- Kids are welcome to sing a capella (with no background music) or with a backtrack. NOTE: If you plan to use a backtrack, please have it ready to play on a device (such as the parent's phone) so that the audition timeslot can be used efficiently.
- Kids may be asked to read a short piece from the script (non-readers can "echo back" lines), but this is not necessary to prepare ahead of time. We do have non-singing roles, so kids who are more interested in acting than singing are very welcome!
- During the audition, each child will be asked their preferences, such as: do they want to have lines by themselves, and if they want to sing a solo, or only in a group. If you like, you can talk to them about this ahead of time, but it's also fine to let the conversation unfold naturally during their audition fine.
- If a child is interested in participating but is not comfortable singing or reading/speaking by themselves, please don't worry! Sign up for an audition and we'll just have a conversation. Definitely don't pressure for any kind of preparation - it's fine to show up, just as they are!
- A word to "RPL veterans": We encourage you to use this opportunity to show us something new...perhaps a side of your singing voice that we haven't heard on our stage, or a type of character that is new for you. You already know that our auditions are fun and easy, so take this chance to stretch yourself outside your comfort zone. Perhaps show something I've not seen you do before, or learn one of the songs from the show. A well-prepared song in auditions that demonstrates your at-home effort definitely makes a difference....for both of us!
WHAT ARE THE REHEARSAL EXPECTATIONS?
- Most actors will be assigned to one slot and will attend that timeslot weekly, however, some roles require rehearsing in more than one slot, or even on both days. a detailed rehearsal schedule will be distributed the first week of rehearsal.
- Rehearsals start Feb 19 at these times:
SLOT 1: Thursdays 3:00-4:30
SLOT 2: Thursdays 4:30-6:00
SLOT 3: Fridays 2:30-4:00
YOUNG ACTOR TIMESLOT: Fridays 1:45-2:30 is the required weekly timeslot for our youngest rising stars (age 4-5) - Casting and the rehearsal schedule are built around the conflicts of participating families. You will be asked about your availability and conflicts in your audition form, and will will do our best to accommodate family schedule. Note that conflicts/availability will affect casting decisions.
- While we are primarily a homeschool organization, we welcome any family who is able to make rehearsal times work, and we will work with your schedule as best as we can.
- With the exception of illness or true emergency, attendance is required at all rehearsals unless you have a previously-arranged excused absence. All conflicts must be disclosed on the audition form
- Rehearsals are held at Read Play Love in Lowry Crossing (East McKinney) and parents must remain on site during rehearsals (see Parent Involvement section below.)
- Required Rehearsals: in addition to your ongoing weekly rehearsal time, the following are required for all cast members. (Note: for our youngest cast members, we aim to get their parts done first.)
- Full group rehearsals are April 9, 16, 17 @ 3:00-6:30pm.
- Production Week: Dress Rehearsals on April 21, 22, and 23, approx 3:00-7:00 (final times tba)
- Final performances are April 24, 25, and 26 at 6pm at WAG, with a 4:30 call time.
- Actors are asked to arrive on time, to be focused and attentive in rehearsal, and to practice the material at home in order to be prepared and ready to work.
- To help reinforce that rehearsal is time for work rather than socializing, you are encouraged to come before or stay after for social and playtime -- in fact, this is one of the big perks of theatre at RPL!
WHAT IS THE PARENT INVOLVEMENT LIKE?
📅In order to facilitate effective communication, the parent meeting on Feb 19 is mandatory, even if you have participated in previous productions.
📬Parents are required to actively read and respond to announcements (generally weekly, but becoming more frequently closer to the performance)
🏠As a community-focused organization, parents are required to stay on-site during rehearsals. Rehearsal times are enjoyable social times for parents, and offer opportunities to contribute on projects for the production. If you have multiple kids, you'll love having a place where everyone can have fun, even when they aren't in rehearsals. RPL is a friendly, inclusive community with wonderful parents and great kids, from tots to teens!
📘At-home practice is required, especially for roles with significant stage time, and we require each family to commit to rehearsing at home. We will give you tools to help kids with repetition and memorization in between group rehearsals.
📑You're required to have a printed and bound script for every actor who reads, which must be brought to every rehearsal.
💁♀️Each family fills at least two volunteer roles, based on their interests, skills and availability. This investment of time is crucial for an all-volunteer production-- and it's also fun to get involved and participate as an entire family! A form for indicating volunteer job preferences is given the first week of rehearsals, and are assigned first-come, first-serve.
🎭With the exception of Crew Leaders, each family will be expected to serve at least one backstage shift during production week. Details of what this entails will be given at the Parent Meeting.
📬Parents are required to actively read and respond to announcements (generally weekly, but becoming more frequently closer to the performance)
🏠As a community-focused organization, parents are required to stay on-site during rehearsals. Rehearsal times are enjoyable social times for parents, and offer opportunities to contribute on projects for the production. If you have multiple kids, you'll love having a place where everyone can have fun, even when they aren't in rehearsals. RPL is a friendly, inclusive community with wonderful parents and great kids, from tots to teens!
📘At-home practice is required, especially for roles with significant stage time, and we require each family to commit to rehearsing at home. We will give you tools to help kids with repetition and memorization in between group rehearsals.
📑You're required to have a printed and bound script for every actor who reads, which must be brought to every rehearsal.
💁♀️Each family fills at least two volunteer roles, based on their interests, skills and availability. This investment of time is crucial for an all-volunteer production-- and it's also fun to get involved and participate as an entire family! A form for indicating volunteer job preferences is given the first week of rehearsals, and are assigned first-come, first-serve.
🎭With the exception of Crew Leaders, each family will be expected to serve at least one backstage shift during production week. Details of what this entails will be given at the Parent Meeting.
WHAT MAKES RPL DIFFERENT?
- Our primary focus is simple: building confidence & nurturing the creative self-discovery of each one of our kids! 💖
- Even our auditions are designed to be 100% empowering, inspiring experiences where the kids feel GREAT! 👍
- We create a role for every single child participating! Our tradition of producing original musicals allows us complete flexibility to adjust our scripts & songs in order to give every single child a chance to shine! ⭐
- We mentor kids where they are and help them feel great, stretching them a bit further than they expect...all while being part of a high quality production! 🎭
- Busy schedule? We do our best to work around the schedules of busy families. 📅
- We are known for developing new musicals as part of our series of "New Musicals for a New Generation!" Our musicals feature rich storytelling with affirming, positive messages for our kids. 🌍
- RPL is the ideal place for kids to try theatre for the first time, as well as more experienced performers to stretch their wings & grow! 🎭
- Since its inception, RPL has existed to share the arts with families of all backgrounds, beliefs, and abilities. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, our mission is to empower children through the arts, and create an inclusive culture of love. We welcome everyone and would love to have you! 📕🎭💖
WHAT'S THE STORY ABOUT? (SYNOPSIS)
In an underwater world, Mermaids are forbidden to go to the surface of the water – except as part of a secret birthday ritual that nobody knows about – a magic spell devised by the Sea Queen to make Mermaids immortal and happy forever, protecting them from ever feeling any sad emotions. She has, after all, locked all Mermaid’s tears away forever, a decision she made after experiencing heartbreak herself.
All is happy in the underwater world – with all Mermaids living happily, enjoying the sea – especially the frequent entertainment by a charming pack of Sharks and the talented Rainbow Mermaids. But two sea monsters seem to have a mysterious plan to disrupt the Mermaids’ peace.
One Mermaid, Victoria, is stubbornly dissatisfied, and longs to see what life is like on land. Her quest takes her to meet the Sea Queen whom she outsmarts and finally gets to experience land for herself – but she finds herself in the middle of a crisis when she becomes determined to rescue a little boy stranded on a deserted Island.
The Sea Serpents take advantage of her sisters’ concerns and offer to help them rescue her, for a price -- their voices. When a massive storm stirs the sea, Victoria must choose between returning home with her sisters or rescuing the little boy – she chooses the boy and delivers him safely before sacrificing herself and being folded up into the sea. ‘
In the sorrow of seeing the sisters’ loss, the Sea Queen decides to allow Mermaids to cry – and when she does, the Sea Serpent appears as the man who had broken the Queen’s heart so many years ago. He had spent many years to create the antidote to a spell he had been put under, searching for these ingredients: 5 mermaid voices, the seafoam of a mermaid’s memory, and the ever-elusive Mermaid’s tears.
Now that the antidote has been found, all is reversed: the Mermaids get their voices back, Victoria returns to life, and the Sea Queen decrees a new rule, where Mermaids can move freely in a new era of unity between land and sea and both worlds can learn to live together in peace.
CHARACTER GROUPS: As we always write a show for every specific cast, this list of characters/groups may change for the 2026 production!
All is happy in the underwater world – with all Mermaids living happily, enjoying the sea – especially the frequent entertainment by a charming pack of Sharks and the talented Rainbow Mermaids. But two sea monsters seem to have a mysterious plan to disrupt the Mermaids’ peace.
One Mermaid, Victoria, is stubbornly dissatisfied, and longs to see what life is like on land. Her quest takes her to meet the Sea Queen whom she outsmarts and finally gets to experience land for herself – but she finds herself in the middle of a crisis when she becomes determined to rescue a little boy stranded on a deserted Island.
The Sea Serpents take advantage of her sisters’ concerns and offer to help them rescue her, for a price -- their voices. When a massive storm stirs the sea, Victoria must choose between returning home with her sisters or rescuing the little boy – she chooses the boy and delivers him safely before sacrificing herself and being folded up into the sea. ‘
In the sorrow of seeing the sisters’ loss, the Sea Queen decides to allow Mermaids to cry – and when she does, the Sea Serpent appears as the man who had broken the Queen’s heart so many years ago. He had spent many years to create the antidote to a spell he had been put under, searching for these ingredients: 5 mermaid voices, the seafoam of a mermaid’s memory, and the ever-elusive Mermaid’s tears.
Now that the antidote has been found, all is reversed: the Mermaids get their voices back, Victoria returns to life, and the Sea Queen decrees a new rule, where Mermaids can move freely in a new era of unity between land and sea and both worlds can learn to live together in peace.
CHARACTER GROUPS: As we always write a show for every specific cast, this list of characters/groups may change for the 2026 production!
- The Shark Pack: A group of shark entertainers, charming but competitive old-school crooners, the underwater version of Frank Sinatra and The Rat Pack in 1960s Las Vegas (Frank Finatra, Elfish Presley, Sting Ray Charles, Salmon Davis Jr. and others)
- The Rainbow Mermaids: Headline performers at “The Coconut Crabaret”, who also rule over the different colors of the sea.
- The Mermaid Sisters: A family of six Mermaid sisters, each with distinctive personalities and their own individual responses to Victoria’s risky quest.
- The Dark Sea Creatures: Include Nemesis, The Sea Witch Queen; her apprentices who are highly competitive over assuming the Sea Queen title; and the Sea Monsters/Serpents, who have a dark secret of their own, involving a list of ingredients that remains a mystery until the end of the story.
- The Humans: include Storyteller(s), a young child who almost drowns, an old man visiting the Island with his grandson. And a wandering poet who one of the mermaids falls in love with from afar.
- The Pirates - boisterous and lively pirates who love to tell pirate jokes.
Here's our 2023 Cast:
