Shorecrest Senior brings 3D Magic to The Little Mermaid

Shorecrest senior Tyler Born and one of the backdrops he created for The Little Mermaid
Photo courtesy Shoreline Schools

When audiences enter the Shorecrest High School theatre for the spring production of The Little Mermaid, they can expect to be carried away into a student-created three-dimensional world that the play is taking place within.

Shorecrest senior Tyler Born, entirely self-taught, has painstakingly crafted a 2,500-acre digital world for the characters to inhabit, including custom coral reefs, handcrafted waves that shimmer in the setting sun, and thousands of details that he has created and refined throughout his semester-long independent study Theatre Tech class.

Tyler is using the same technology that was used to create the movie Flow, which won the 2025 Oscar for Best Animated Feature–Blender is a free and open-source software that allows users to create immersive 3D experiences for a variety of purposes.

Shares Director Andy Kidd, “We always set a high standard for our theatre productions here at Shorecrest, but what Tyler has brought to The Little Mermaid is truly next level.

"In so many ways, this show is not what you’d typically expect when you come to a Disney musical, and we kinda love that. The professional-level projections that create the world our characters inhabit will truly immerse the audience for a unique and memorable take on this Disney classic.”

Within Tyler’s projections for The Little Mermaid, one continuous movement through this digital world could take Ariel from Triton’s musical-yet-stifling undersea kingdom, up to the surface to show off her snarflat to Scuttle, and into King Eric’s castle to roam the halls on her newly acquired legs.

Tyler's digital creation for The Little Mermaid
Photo courtesy Shoreline Schools

Tyler, who is headed to Oregon State University next year to study mechanical engineering, says,

“Creating this digital world to apply to the physical space of the stage and theatre for real-life actors to perform within has been an amazing experience and challenge for me.

"It has tested my technical skills and really allowed me to grow creatively and in my collaboration with Mr. Kidd, the cast and crew, and the theatre professionals who bring their expertise to our show.”

The Little Mermaid will run from Thursday, May 15 through Sunday, May 18, 2025. Evening performance times are 7:30pm on Thursdays-Saturdays; matinees are at 2:00pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Advance ticket prices are $15 for adults and $10 for children under 12/students with ASB card. Tickets purchased at the door on the day of performance are $20.

Purchase tickets here