Hampshire High presents 'Once Upon a Mattress' this weekend

Just as fairy tale princesses are put to the test, so will the comedy skills of the Hampshire High School's cast of the musical "Once Upon a Mattress" this weekend.

"It's hilarious and there are tons of funny lines," said junior Sam Eyerly, who plays Princess Winnifred. "Comedies are really fun because you get that laughter and it motivates you to do better."

The play is a change from the school's dramatic productions of previous years.

"We chose a comedy instead of a drama, something older instead of new," said Director Chris Cherry. "Something special [about the show] is that it's so lighthearted and fun and it's not something that's done as often."

The cast enjoyed having the chance to try something new, especially when it came to taking on the personalities of their characters.

"(Princess Winnifred) is really a strong person and she's a brash, unladylike princess," Eyerly said. "And I think that's really cool. I'm not like that, but it's really fun to play someone like that because it's out of the ordinary."

"Once Upon a Mattress" is a musical, comedic twist on the classic story "The Princess and the Pea." The play focuses on Prince Dauntless, who is looking for a wife and has several candidates. However, his mother, the queen, continually puts her potential successors through impossible tests that the princesses always fail. Sick of the queen's rule that no one in the land may marry until the prince marries, the kingdom's lead knight, Sir Harry, finds one more princess to go through the tests - and hopefully pass them all.

Princess Winnifred soon enchants the prince and most of the palace's inhabitants, except for the queen. Although the princess trains for her upcoming test, she has no idea it's not a test for which she can study. Prince Dauntless and Princess Winnifred know she is a good fit, but proving it to the queen may be the most difficult task yet.

The play was first written as a short play, then later adapted to an off-Broadway musical. It was first performed on Broadway in 1959.

For the cast, sometimes trying not to take the play too seriously is one of its challenges.

"Some people may think doing a comedy is easier than doing a drama where you're showing your emotions," said senior Sean Doherty who plays Prince Dauntless. "But being funny is not as easy as you would think."

Trying to get into character can be difficult as well, explains Eyerly, and it takes plenty of focus.

"Sometimes in rehearsals you feel like you're not in character yet," Eyerly said. "That's hard because you want to get into it but you don't feel it yet."

So far, the cast has worked hard on the play to give it life, and Cherry is proud of his students and how they have grown.

"I've had the seniors and juniors since they were sixth-and seventh-graders, so I've gotten to know them," Cherry said. "(I enjoy) seeing them evolve and seeing where they start and watching them grow and become better."

Overall, the cast and crew look forward to the production and its originality and creating a fun atmosphere for the audience.

"It's 'The Princess and the Pea' with a twist," Cherry said. "It's silly and fun. It's a comedy and it's not what you're expecting."