Once Upon a Mattress
Book by Jay Thompson, Deann Fuller & Marshall Barer
Music by Mary Rodgers
Lyrics by Marshall Barer
Directed by: Karlissa Cornwell
Performances: September 28, 29, October 4, 5, 6, 7(m), 11, 12, 13, 14(m), 18, 19, 20
Once Upon a Mattress is a musical comedy written as an adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea”. Set in a fictional medieval kingdom ruled by the devious Queen Aggravain and the mute King Sexitmus the Silent, who suffers from a curse that can only be reversed “when the mouse devours the hawk.” The populace of the castle complains about an unjust law levied by Queen Aggravain: “Throughout the land no one may wed, till Dauntless (the prince) shares his wedding bed.” However, every petitioning princess is sent away after failing unfair tests devised by the Queen. When Sir Harry discovers that his girlfriend, Lady Larken, is pregnant, he sets out to find a princess. He returns with Princess Winnifred of the swamp, who Dauntless falls for immediately. The Queen and her Wizard set up a test for sensitivity by placing a pea under twenty mattresses. But was it the pea that kept the princess up all night?
Director
Karlissa Cornwell previously directed Pride and Prejudice and Little Women at ACT, and has acted in The Odd Couple, A Little Piece of Heaven, Pippin and Crimes of the Heart. She taught English and drama for 18 years, and is now an education professor at Western Oregon University.
Cast of Characters
Minstrel: Cadence Schuerger
Wizard: Jacob Birchard
Lady Larken: Josie Davis (even dates), Lindy Hatcher (odd dates)
Bird: Lindy Hatcher (even dates), Josie Davis (odd dates)
Sir Harry: Clayton Hollingsworth
Queen Aggravain: Jo Judge (even dates), Kim Kelley (odd dates)
Prince Dauntless: Timothy John Kelley II (even dates), Cory Warren (odd dates)
Princess Winnifred: Brittany Drier (even dates), Ally Faber (odd dates)
King Sextimus: Jeff McMahon
Jester: Janessa Minta
Sir Studley: Conner Riley
Sir Luce: Dustin Davis
1st Knight: Travis Wisner
1st Knight (understudy): Megan Dorn
2nd Knight: Andy Craig
3rd Knight: Melanie Schwarz
Lady Rowena: Hannah Brunson
Lady Rowena (understudy): Mackenzie Wang
Lady Merrill: Kristina Reynolds
Lady Lucille: Rachael Stephen
Princess 12: Sofia Poston
Lady Giggles: Erika Poston
Lady Aequabis: Frankie Caswell
Featured Dancer (pointe): Amy Sisson
Featured Dancer: Brianna Saling
Lady Mabelle: Kaspar O’Neill
Sir Harold: Jillian Griffith
Lady H: Mackenzie Wang
Beatrice: Ashlee Nunez
Maid: Rebecca Theiss
Ensemble: Frankie Caswell, Julia Caswell, Andy Craig, Brittany Drier, Nicodemus Flotten, Jillian Griffith, Jo Judge, Lexi Longstreet, Ashlee Nunez, Kasper O’Neill, Grace Porter, Erika Poston, Sofia Poston, Gwendolyn Schwarz, Dan Simmons, Claire Simpson, Rebecca Theiss, Mackenzie Wang, Corey Warren
Girls: Imogene Schwarz, Beatrice Bartholomew