“The Mermaids" at the Timber Lake Playhouse -- August 21 through 20.
Friday, August 21, through Sunday, August 30
Timber Lake Playhouse, 8215 Black Oak Road, Mt. Carroll IL
Presented as the latest selection in the theatre's “Andy Bro Show New Works Commission,” the world premiere of composer Billy Reece's musical The Mermaids enjoys an August 21 through 30 run at Mt. Carroll's Timber Lake Playhouse, treating audiences to a debuting stage experience as the final show in the theatre's 2026 summer season.
The Mermaids is a darkly comic, heart-forward new play about a scrappy mermaid pod trying to go ‘pro’ for the first time. Centered on five 20-somethings who gather every summer in handmade tails, the pod’s ambitions, friendships, and personal traumas collide as they chase the dream of competing at Mermaid Con. Beneath the glitter and fantasy, the play explores control, identity, grief, and the desperate need to belong, told through sharp humor, big emotions, and a deeply contemporary voice. Ultimately, this is a story about found family, self-reinvention, and the lengths we swim to feel seen.
One of musical theatre’s most exciting young voices, and known for his Billboard-charting songs and off-Broadway hits (Fowl Play, A Musical About Star Wars, Singfeld), The Mermaids writer and composer Billy Recce has built a career turning pop culture’s most outrageous corners into razor-sharp, hilarious, and heartfelt musicals. This new world premiere, created exclusively for Timber Lake Playhouse, continues the Mt. Carroll's tradition of originating daring new works in the heart of Carroll County. With Recce’s signature blend of biting humor and warmth, audiences can expect an unforgettable night of laughter, surprises, and the thrill of experiencing a show’s very first heartbeat on stage.
The “Andy Bro Show New Works Commission” was named in honor of the Timber Lake Playhouse's first artistic director, who assumed the role in 1961. And featured among the Mt. Carroll venue's season-ender are: Gabriella Jay Rodriguez as Mikayla; Gabriela Hernandez as Maya; Greyson Taylor as Will; Matthew Hammel as Bryan; Jaime Lyn Beatty as Adrianna; Elana Simard as Josephine; Courtney Bassett as Thani; and Jazmin Rhodes as Amarantha.
The world premiere of The Mermaids runs at the Mt. Carroll theatre August 21 through 30, with performances at 2 and/or 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Admission is $36-64, and more information and tickets are available by calling (815)244-2035 and visiting TimberLakePlayhouse.org.
