On February 28, 2008, Fort Dorchester High School’s Fine Arts Department performed an exceptional version of Roger and Hammerstein’s Once Upon a Mattress. The entire play is essentially a spin of the fairytale “The Princess and the Pea”. The chief distinction between the two stories is simply that Once Upon a Mattress includes quite a bit of singing and dancing. The cast included some of Fort Dorchester High School’s Fine Arts most exceptional students. These actors and actresses included Dalton Anderson (the Minstrel), Jordan Weeg (Lady Larkin), Ashley West (Queen Aggrabain), Anthony Massarotto (Prince Dauntless), Will Baber (King Sextimus), and Daniel McQueen (Sir Studley).
The musical is the tale of Prince Dauntless’ quest to find a bride. Through much r
esearching and studying the court is able to produce twelve different princesses, all eligible to marry Prince Dauntless. However, the Queen, Aggrabain, refuses to assent to her son marrying any princess until they are capable of passing a series of test. Days, weeks, and months continue as each princess fails the appointed task. The tests are continued until the twelfth princess is unable to produce correct answers to Queen Aggrabain’s questions. When all seems lost the court is able to unearth one last eligible princess, Winifred. The only dilemma with the innovation is that Princess Winifred is relatively unorthodox. She refuses to follow the rules established by the courts and conducts herself in manner that is not traditionally considered ladylike. To much dismay, Queen Aggrabain is determined to ruin Winifred’s chances of becoming the future queen so she proposes a new test. Instead of conjuring a series of questions for Winifred to answer, she decides to place a single pea under a stack of mattress. In the eyes of Aggrabain, only a legitimate princess would be intelligent enough to feel the disturbance of a small pea under stack of fluffy mattresses. Unfortunately for Queen Aggrabain, Princess Winifred passes the test and is given the opportunity to marry Prince Dauntless.
esearching and studying the court is able to produce twelve different princesses, all eligible to marry Prince Dauntless. However, the Queen, Aggrabain, refuses to assent to her son marrying any princess until they are capable of passing a series of test. Days, weeks, and months continue as each princess fails the appointed task. The tests are continued until the twelfth princess is unable to produce correct answers to Queen Aggrabain’s questions. When all seems lost the court is able to unearth one last eligible princess, Winifred. The only dilemma with the innovation is that Princess Winifred is relatively unorthodox. She refuses to follow the rules established by the courts and conducts herself in manner that is not traditionally considered ladylike. To much dismay, Queen Aggrabain is determined to ruin Winifred’s chances of becoming the future queen so she proposes a new test. Instead of conjuring a series of questions for Winifred to answer, she decides to place a single pea under a stack of mattress. In the eyes of Aggrabain, only a legitimate princess would be intelligent enough to feel the disturbance of a small pea under stack of fluffy mattresses. Unfortunately for Queen Aggrabain, Princess Winifred passes the test and is given the opportunity to marry Prince Dauntless. Overall, the play was a captivating experience that kept the audience entertained and enchanted. It encompassed the moral that difference sometimes exceeds the appreciation of normality. Thanks to the production of Mr. Davis, the Fine Arts Department was once again able to produce a truly captivating and spell-binding production.
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