Don’t worry, there’s no need to follow Mrs. Merman’s directions and swim swiftly through salty seas of sassafras. Just take the road to Moscow High School for a new take on the tale the audience thinks they know.

The Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT) came to Moscow Monday with auditions for its production of “The Little Mermaid.” It’s not the same story most would know, whether it’s the Disney movie or the old fairytale. But some may recognize a few allusions to the more famous version of the story.

“It features a family of mermaids … exploring the world above,” said Melissa Trentacoste, one of two directors for the show.

Rather than 12 daughters of King Triton, the audience will find the four mermaid daughters of Mrs. Merman, the widow of the late Mr. Merman “whose name, of course, was Sherman.” Each of the daughters journey to the land above on their 16th birthday, returning to tell their tale.

The play features whimsical songs and a variety of characters, from the jokester merman next door Gill to the fire-breathing dragon tamed by a mint. Also shown is a colorful array of sea creatures like a rainbow stingray, a catfish and a dogfish.

“Missoula Children’s Theatre has been coming to Moscow for the last several years,” said Abby Glanville, executive director of Festival Dance.

Festival Dance is the host organization that helps bring MCT to the area, helping to bring them in as an outreach activity for students. The process for the show is doing auditions, rehearsals, and the final show all in one week.

“It’s quite a hectic process but a lot of fun working with all the kids,” Director Lindsay Abrams said.

Trentacoste said much of the rehearsing and teaching process involved a show-and-tell style for the children to follow, as opposed to the traditional style of learning a show. Because they have such a short amount of time, the young actors don’t know they shouldn’t be able to memorize an entire play in one week.

Yet, somehow, the students are able to take their scripts and get it all in their heads within a few days, Abrams said. They have the mentality to believe that this can be done and they do their best.

“While the rehearsal schedule is intensive, it’s not a huge, long-term commitment,” Glanville said. “It’s a great opportunity for people to get involved in the performing arts and theater.”

Meridian Wappett, a Moscow Middle School eighth-grader, plays the cowgirl starfish and leader of the sea ponies. She described her experience as really fun, getting the chance to hang out with friends and learn new things about theater.

“I’ve been doing it since fourth grade and I’ve always loved acting,” Wappett said. “You get to meet new people and become a different person … onstage.”

Abrams found MCT a few months ago and decided to become a part of it due to the connection she felt. She saw the job as an opportunity to give children the chance to have the theater experience she had as a child.

The children come in with a clean slate, Trentacoste said. Whatever past they have or reputation they’ve gained in school doesn’t have to carry into what they learn in the production. Throughout the rehearsal process, the directors have seen a great self-esteem boost in their actors.

“I think that theater is the last real magic in the world,” Trentacoste said. “This opportunity is a way for them to experience that magic and open their world up a little more.”

These kinds of theater experience are recommended not just for aspiring young actors but for people who love working with students and want to do theater for a job, Abrams said. Her favorite moments are seeing the kids smiling and having a great time performing.

“They’re so shy in the beginning,” she said. “Now they just burst out doing all these fun things.”

The Missoula Children’s Theatre production of “The Little Mermaid” will show at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday at the Moscow High School Auditorium. Tickets cost $6 for adults and $4 for children younger than 16.