Calvert High’s Double Edge Productions has worked extremely hard the past few months bringing to life their rendition of Jay Thompson’s Once Upon a Mattress, a modern spin on the old “Princess and The Pea” fairy tale under the guidance of theatre director Mrs. Stephanie Thom.
The show ran April 11, 12, and 13 and featured a live pit orchestra courtesy of CHS band director Mrs. Caitlyn Piper and various student and professional musicians. The set included a castle and thrones, along with many interactive props that brought the show to life.
In the opening scene, The Minstrel (senior Sam Caroll) tells the audience the history of the classic tale, and how this story differs from the original one audiences all know and love. Throughout the show The Minstrel acts as both a character and the narrator—which is a nice touch that adds that storytelling vibe to the play, allowing the viewer to feel involved in the story.
As the play continues, more main characters are introduced such as Queen Aggravain (junior Patsy Suarez), King Sextimus (senior Joe Lennon), Dauntless (sophomore Colton Ward), and Winnifred (senior Angelina Zannopoulos). These characters all have significant roles in the play, as the story revolves around the Queen wanting her son, Dauntless, to find a “real princess” to marry. When Dauntless falls in love with Winnifred, someone his mom does not consider a “real princess,” she spends the rest of the musical devising an “impossible” test for Winnifred to pass—which ultimately fails in the end.
Throughout the performance, the actors put on an amazing and entertaining show, interacting flawlessly with each other, the set, and props. The live score and lighting crew really helped pull the show together as well. The excitement created by the live music and the mood created by the amazing lighting perfectly fit the strong emotion conveyed by the characters.
Overall, the show was a great success. Congratulations should go out to all the wonderful people that helped to bring this twist on a classic tale to life.
