Summary Of The Play 'Once Upon A Mattress'

As the lights go black, the orchestra begins to play the overture, and the curtain opens, you are shown a cartoonish castle scene. Ursuline Academy’s <cq> production of Once Upon a Mattress, <cq> has begun.
Once Upon a Mattress is a funny adaptation of the fairytale The Princess and the Pea <cq>. In Act I, the Minstrel is telling the story of the Princess and the Pea, but says it’s not true, because he was there when it happened. Queen Aggravain <cq> was giving all of the princess-wannabe’s an unfair quiz, because they aren’t like the queen, so she doesn’t want them to marry her son, Dauntless <cq>. So, Sir Harry <cq> asks the Queen if he can go over the mountains to find a potential princess for Dauntless. She says yes, and he’s gone for a long time, and finds
Princess Winnifred <cq> from the swamps. She immediately appeals to Dauntless and most of the kingdom besides the Queen. So, the Queen and her partner, the Wizard <cq>, devise a plan to place a single pea under 20 downy mattresses, and make Winnifred sleep on it. If she were a true princess, she would feel the pea and get no sleep. In Act II, the Queen banishes the Minstrel, so he and the Jester <cq> go to the Wizard to say goodbye. When the two are alone, the Wizard tells the Minstrel their plan, and the Minstrel tells the Jester and King Sextimus <cq>. When the Queen orders Winnifred to bed, she cannot sleep because she feels a “lump” under the mattress. In the morning, Dauntless is notified by his mother that Winnifred’s test has already been done and is over with. When he asks when and what it was, she tells him, and he is mad for her giving such an unfair test. When Winnifred walks in, she is very sleepy looking. When the Queen asks about her slumber, she says she didn’t even close her eyes because of the lump. Later, the reason why she couldn’t sleep is revealed. The King, Jester, and Minstrel stuffed the mattresses with armor and jousting equipment. Even after all of the items are removed, Princess Winnifred still has trouble sleeping until Dauntless takes the pea out from the bottom mattress, and falls asleep instantly.
The overall production of Once Upon a Mattress was phenomenal.
The lighting and sound cues were timed very well. The stage and set crews managed their space and storage very well by making reversible castle walls for different scenes.
Princess Winnifred, played by Kennedy Carstens <cq>, had a very good voice and a strong presence every time she was on stage. Prince Dauntless, played by CJ Allen <cq>, also had a strong voice.
The Minstrel, played by Arjun Sheth <cq>, did a very good job hitting the high notes. Queen Aggravain was a sass-filled part that only Michaela Back <cq> could have pulled off. The Jester, played by Claire Westover <cq> was a fun-filled part that Claire seemed to enjoy. The dance ensemble did a marvelous job, especially in the tap number.
The lighting and sound crews did very well. Although there were a few cracking mics, they recovered and the cast continued on as if it were part of the show. The lighting was very well planned and placed in a precise position. The costumes used in the show were of very good quality. The stage crew was very quick and quiet during scene changes.
Once Upon a Mattress is a fun-filled musical that is sure to bring happiness and joy to anybody who see
it.