The Curtain Goes Up on Fall Musical

By Dylan Sabatos

This year the EHS drama department has kicked off its fall musical Once Upon a Mattress. The musical has a cast of approximately 35 students and a crew of 10. Although practice with such a large cast can be hectic, it is also very rewarding to allow students to release their inner actor.

Once Upon a Mattress is a comedic twist on the classic princess story The Princess and the Pea. The story is set in a medieval times kingdom ruled by a cruel and overprotective Queen Aggravain, played by senior Kennedy O’Dell,  and a mute King Sextimus, played by sophomore Austin McNorton.

The story revolves around a kingdom of citizens that cannot get married until Prince Dauntless, played by freshman Dayne Sabatos, finds a true princess to marry. Sir Harry, played by senior Mason Kelso, learns that his lady in waiting, Lady Larken, played by Senior Lorena Coleman, is pregnant and that she and Harry must get married soon or she must go away.

“He [Dauntless] is desperate to find a wife, and until he does no one else may wed,” Sabatos said.

Harry goes in search for the 13th princess in hopes that she will be a true princess unlike the 12 before her who were tested and failed. After climbing steep mountains and crossing the badlands Harry finds Princess Winnifred, played by junior Chloe O’dell, the swamp princess. After Princess Winnifred swims the moat Prince Dauntless instantly falls in love with the princess. But the Queen Aggravain doesn’t like this so she creates a test of sensitivity with the help of the wizard, played by Jayce McQueen, and puts a pea under 20 mattresses.

“The princess’s goal is to pass a test issued by the Queen to prove that she is a ‘true princess’ and is fit to wed Prince Dauntless,” Chloe O’Dell said.

Will Princess Winnifred pass the test and marry young Dauntless or will the kingdom be forced to live lonely lives without marriage? Discover this question and many more at Once Upon a Mattress performances on November 14 and 16 at 7:00PM.