Ridgedale Players to make a splash with ‘Finding Nemo Jr.’

TROY — The next production by the Ridgedale Players is an aquatic adventure that adapts a modern Disney classic.

“Finding Nemo Jr.” will star the troupe’s junior actors, with 7:30 p.m. shows on Friday, March 13 and March 20, and 2 p.m. shows Saturday, March 14 and March 21, as well as a 2 p.m. show Sunday, March 22. The venue is the group’s community theater, 205 W. Long Lake Road. Junior show tickets are around $14.

The play is a musical adaptation of the 2003 Pixar film that follows the clownfish Marlin as he searches for his son Nemo, who was taken by a scuba diver and placed in an aquarium at a dental office. Marlin is accompanied by Dory, a blue tang with short-term memory loss.

The play was previously performed at Disney theme parks before becoming available for school and community theater performances. Here, it serves as a learning experience for the actors putting on the show, most of them younger than 12 years old.

“Ours is only an hour long, and it breaks down (the play), step by step,” said Sara Fournier, the director, noting the scripts are accompanied by other learning materials. “So, it’s more than just getting up there and doing the script. There’s a lot of learning about how to put on a play, and how to do musicals is a part of the process, as well.”

This is Fournier’s first time directing a show, but she is no stranger to the stage, having done work onstage with previous Ridgedale productions.

“I’ve done so many shows in my career as an actor, and you think you know it all, and you think you’ve got it all figured out,” she said. “But these kids, both in good ways and bad ways, have really, really challenged me. They’ve shown me how much the youth is capable of.”

Lilly Husman, who plays Marlin, has been involved in six other Ridgedale productions. One of her favorite songs from this production is “Go with the Flow,” due to its high energy.

“We’re all doing a ton of dancing,” Husman said. “We’re all just having the time of our lives.”

Izzy Galadik, who plays Nemo, has done nine shows with other local groups, but this is her first show with the Ridgedale Players. 

“I feel this is different from my other shows because I usually play more ensemble roles, and it’s my first lead role,” Galadik said. “I’m also one of the oldest kids in the cast because I’m 12 years old, and I’m used to working with like 18-year-old (actors) and stuff.”

Maria Xydas, who plays Dory, has been involved with five productions with Ridgedale.

“I mean, I love doing the show,” Xydas said. “It’s been so much fun, especially working with Lilly and Izzy.”

For more information, visit ridgedaleplayers.com.