“Once Upon A Mattress” enchants audiences
Roses pile upon the edge of the stage as glistening specs of light dance on the rich burgundy satin as the curtains close for the final call. From Nov. 6-9, the NPHS PAC was transformed into a magical kingdom, transporting its audience into the musical “Once Upon A Mattress” written by Marshall Barer, Dean Fuller and Jay Thompson in 1959. The play is a retelling of the fairytale: “The Princess of the Pea”, but with the addition of modernized elements.
Marilyn Strange, the director of “Once Upon a Mattress,” chose to direct this show because of its comedic elements. “It’s super fun. It’s light, it’s comedic, it’s not a genre that we have tackled at this point in Newbury Park High School in a long time. So we’re really focusing on physical comedy and slapstick elements, and that’s just so light and fun,” Strange said.
Strange’s favorite part of directing is teaching her students how to collaborate towards a shared goal. “Including the orchestra, there’s probably about 125 students involved in this production. So it’s really neat to see when we can all come together and bring our own individual pieces, the amazing product that comes out of that and the creativity and the storytelling they’re doing,” Strange said. Strange also enjoys the community outreach involved in performing a musical. “We’re part of a larger community, and we’re serving a community purpose of getting people together […] not just being entertained, but being in a room all together and feeling the same emotions and going through the same story,” Strange said.
Camden Aschbrenner, junior, played Prince Dauntless, who searches to find a bride that complies with his mother’s demands. As he developed his character, Aschbrenner leaned into the show’s comedic nature. “This show was just so absurd that I really just tried to be as weird as possible, and I really aimed to make the audience uncomfortable in a funny way,” Aschbrenner said. Aschbrenner worked alongside his fellow actors to develop chemistry and a relationship on stage. “It was hard at first to find the dynamic between Prince Dauntless and Winifred, but as time went on, we were able to really just lean into our own characters and see how they interacted,” Aschbrenner said.
For her fourth year in the theater department, Makenna Cotton, senior, plays Princess Winifred the Wobegone, the musical’s unconventional protagonist. “My character is super goofy. She’s really wild, so I watched as many films of different people playing her as possible,” Cotton said. “It felt like a really seamless transition to get into character.” She enjoys the rehearsal process with her fellow actors and the opportunity they had to run the full show two weeks before the beginning of tech week. “That was really beneficial to feeling confident and settled going into opening night,” Cotton said.
Hidden behind the hand painted sets of stone castle walls, unknown to the eyes of the audience, was an orchestra playing for the entirety of the show. To commemorate her fourth year playing the oboe, Catelyn Shaffer, sophomore, lended her talents to the show’s orchestra. Shaffer believes the most rewarding part of her playing in the show is being able to share the experience with her friends. “I would encourage people to join the orchestra in order to get more experience playing their instrument. The music from the show is definitely a lot different from the pieces we normally play,” Shaffer said.
Before the stage lights illuminate the wooden surface, actors have to prepare for their roles mentally and physically. From costume fittings of every cast member and to countless makeup products, NPHS students like Natalie Carey, junior, are responsible for the presentation of every actor. Carey joined the costume department this year due to her interest in fashion. “My favorite memories from the show are just being backstage or in the weight room with everybody. I’ve met so many sweet and talented people through tech theatre and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience,” Carey said.
In an attempt to become more involved in school and meet new people, Susanna DeSheilds, senior, was a part of the show’s set design and painting departments. DeSheilds described the feeling of seeing the set completed as “surreal.” Throughout her four years here at NPHS, DeSheilds wanted to take part in the vibrant theater community on campus, which she finally did her senior year. She plans to try out for the spring play as well. “[The set] definitely came out perfectly, like how we drew it,” DeSheilds said.
From organizing rehearsals to setting deadlines, the head stage manager, Charlotte Chang, senior, had a great responsibility for the show. Chang’s favorite memories from the show this year come from celebrating her hard work with her cast and crew.“I’ve been doing stage management since sophomore year, and I wanted to join because it seemed like a job that fit my skillset,” Chang said.
