Article by Julie Waechter, special assignment for Adams State
When Adams State University theatre alumna Chelsea (Rossetto) Sturdevant ’08 moved to Hawaii at the beginning of Covid, performance opportunities were limited. So she began working as an American Sign Language interpreter in public schools, then discovered, “Mermaiding is an actual thing.” So she dove in.
This venture, in which performers swim in a costume with a mermaid tail, included becoming PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certified as a mermaid and mermaid instructor, as well as in advanced scuba and freediving.
“I’ve always been drawn to the water, and my first job was as a lifeguard,” she added. “This has been an awesome outlet for creativity. I did shows at hotels in Waikiki, at aquariums, and the Honolulu Zoo,” she said. Sturdevant also wrote a kids’ book, “There’s no Such Thing as Mermaids,” and produces a podcast, “Save the Mermaids,” with her best friend. “It’s half science and ocean health, half ocean mythology,” she explained.
Sturdevant recently moved to Savannah, Georgia, where her husband, Chris, is stationed with the U.S. Army. She plans to explore the local theater scene and continue mermaiding. For now, she is guiding shark tooth hunting tours on a beach and dolphin tours on a boat. “It’s so fun. Finding shark teeth is addicting.”
She credits Adams State for all she has accomplished. “Attending Adams State was one of the best times in my life. In terms of ASL, the podcast and book, mermaiding – none of that would have happened if I hadn’t been a theatre major at Adams State.”
