Correction appended
The Penn State Thespians are shying away from traditional and somber musicals with their latest performance, Once Upon A Mattress.
"Last year the two musicals were pretty dark, not funny," said Alex Shields (senior-biology), and member of Penn State Thespians. "Once Upon A Mattress is a lot lighter. It's a lot of fun and fits in with the college atmosphere."
Once Upon A Mattress, a spinoff of The Princess and the Pea, will be showcased at 7:30 tonight in the Schwab Auditorium and performances will continue at 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Friday and at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
For tonight's performance, student tickets will cost $6 of which $1 will be donated to this year's Penn State Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (Thon). Regular tickets, which are still available, are priced at $8 for students and $12 for adults.
Meghan McNamara (sophomore-biology), originally the assistant director for the Thespian musical, stepped up and took on the full responsibilities as the leading director for the show.
"This is my first time being a director," McNamara said. "It's been tough and definitely a learning experience. I've opened the floor up to the cast so it has really been a group effort."
Once Upon A Mattress is similar to Wicked, the book-turned-Broadway hit musical that parallels The Wizard of Oz. Like Wicked, the truth behind The Princess and the Pea is revealed to the audience while remaining unknown to the characters of the show, McNamara said.
The character Lady Larken gets "knocked up" by her boyfriend Sir Harry and, to avoid embarrassment, he fleas with the intent of finding a worthy princess rather than facing the consequences, McNamara said.
Ironically, Sir Harry returns with Princess Winnifred, played by Megan Ringeling (senior-hotel, restaurant and institutional management), who is a tomboy from the swamps.
"I can relate to my role, Princess Winnifred," Ringeling said. "She goes crazy dancing around and doesn't care who sees. She doesn't care if she looks ugly."
Chuck Pierce (senior-broadcast journalism and English) plays Prince Dauntless, who searches for a princess but is faced with an overbearing mother in the process.
"Prince Dauntless is a mama's boy but he grows up by the end of the play," Pierce said. "I have to admit I can relate to him because he's like an exaggerated form of my younger self."
King Sextimus, father of Prince Dauntless, who is played by Shields, has no lines in the musical, but instead pantomimes to communicate, Shields said, adding this is his first experience pantomiming.
"I wasn't sure what to expect," Shields said. "Overall it's been going pretty well. It hasn't been that difficult."
The level of friendship and closeness between the actors in this particular play radiates, Andrea Schwander (junior-geography), the production's stage director, said.
"Watching the cast click has been something," Schwander said. "The actors have taken their roles and really taken off."
As director, McNamara, said there was a conscious effort to make this play more fun for a college audience. There are even hints of Penn State, she said.
"It has slick, adult humor. It's a blast -- upbeat and energetic," said Matthew Lesniewski (sophomore-political science), who plays a knight in the show.
This article incorreclty identified the performance times of the musical Once Upon A Mattress. The correct times for the scheduled performances are Friday night at 7:30 and Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
