“Foolish Fishgirls and the Pearl” was written by Barbara Pease Weber and premiered in Lincoln City, Oregon, in 2012. In the spirit of Stephen Sondheim's “Into the Woods,” the play takes themes from a favorite fairy tale and twists them into a new shape. This time, the question is, what happens to those mermaids who leave the sea to follow their prince? The answer appears to be they should have stayed at home.
In the play, three former mermaids, middle-aged sisters Oceana and Coral, and their cousin Marina, now run a bed-and-breakfast on the New Jersey shore. All three have given up being mermaids to live with the human men they thought were their soulmates, only to have these men steal their treasures and walk out. Now a younger mermaid, Pearl, is about to make the same mistake with a young Coast Guard Lieutenant, and the three more experienced “fishgirls” hope to talk her out of it. Pearl, however, has ideas of her own.
One review said the play is:
"The Flipper Side of Mermaid Love...”
and another said:
"Pearl sparkles... comedic, fanciful, and entertaining."
“Foolish Fishgirls and the Pearl” opens January 15, 2021, at the Claque Playhouse. Poster printing can be used to create whimsical advertising for events like this.