By Rodney Hays
Editor
The Eagle Company of the Prosper High School Theatre Arts Department will stage three public performances of its 2010 spring musical "Once Upon a Mattress" by Mary Rogers, Marshall Barer, Jay Thompson, and Dean Fuller.
This is the second production by the PHS Theater Department this season. The group also put on a production of "The Nerd" in the fall.
The performances will be held on Thursday, Feb. 4, Friday Feb. 5, and Saturday Feb. 6, each at 7:30 p.m. in the Prosper High School Auditorium.
PHS Theater Director Patrick O'Neil said the new auditorium is enough to get the audience excited about the play.
"I feel extremely lucky to be working in this auditorium -- it is literally the best high school theatre I have ever had the pleasure of doing shows in," said O'Neil.
Once Upon a Mattress is a comical spoof of the classic fairytale story, The Princess and the Pea. The story takes place in a faraway kingdom, where Prince Dauntless is found searching for a bride. However, his hard to please mother, Queen Aggravain, makes it impossible for him to find a wife that she finds to be suitable. When tomboy Princess Winnifred comes along, Prince Dauntless falls madly in love with her. Of course, Queen Aggravain disapproves.
It's the pea under the mattress that keeps Princess Winnifred from sleeping, right? Once Upon a Mattress will tell you the truth behind the pea, and the real reason why Princess Winnifred was unable to sleep at night.
"It's the story of "The Princess and the Pea," but it's sort of a "Fractured Fairy Tale" version," O'Neil said. "The princess is a tomboy, the prince is a mama's boy, and his mother is ridiculously mean. It's a very funny spoof of Disney style fairy tales."
The Prosper High School Theatre Arts Department puts on three productions a year using only students as cast and crew. About 60 kids are involved in the cast and crew of the production, O'Neil said.
"It is going to be a great performance, and I hope everyone can make it to the show," O'Neil said.