Shippensburg University’s Acting Group presented the musical “Once Upon a Mattress” in the Memorial Auditorium this weekend. 

The cast of about a dozen actors took to the stage to perform the show, which originally ran on Broadway in 1959 and again in 1996, and the commitment to their roles was evident. 

“Once Upon a Mattress” is a story set in a fairytale setting during medieval times. While watching the musical, it is evident that the king and queen of their kingdom have undergone multiple struggles. 

King Sextimus, played by Emmett O’Bell, was put under a spell of muteness. Due to the fact that he cannot speak, it causes issues between his marriage with his wife, Queen Aggravain, played by Emma Barrow. Queen Aggravain projects these struggles onto her son, Prince Dauntless, played by Stephen Good. 

Prince Dauntless wishes for nothing more than to have a wife. However, Queen Aggravain does not believe that there is anybody good enough for her son, and she believes that he needs a true princess. He believes Queen Aggravain does not want him to be married because of the consistent excuses she makes. 

During a conversation Prince Dauntless has with his mother about when he will get his princess, his mother says, “There’s only one person who really cares about you and really worries about your health and your happiness and your future, and that is what I’m talking about right now. Your future, let me be absolutely clear, I want you to get married, but I don’t want you to marry just anybody, after all, marriage is a lifetime commitment, and I wouldn’t want you to make the same mistakes like I did and wind up miserable the way I did.”  

Over the course of the show, a princess comes along named Princess “Fred” Winnifred, played by Caniah Mayo and famously originated by Carol Burnett. Queen Aggravain believes that she needs to put Princess Winnifred through a test to be sure that she is a true princess, and she does just that. The queen requires the princess to pass a sensitivity test — sleeping on a stack of 20 mattresses with a single pea underneath — and when Princess Winnifred passes, Queen Aggravain becomes furious.

The queen refuses their marriage and tries to keep them apart. Nevertheless, Prince Dauntless persists. He told his mother to be quiet, which broke the curse against his father. The curse was said to be broken when the proverbial “mouse devours the hawk.” In this case, Prince Dauntless was the mouse, and Queen Aggravain was the hawk. Due to this, King Sextimus rose to full power and insisted that Prince Dauntless and Princess Winnifred be married. 

“Once Upon a Mattress” included other 

actors who were very prominent to the story in terms of friendship, acceptance and love. There is plenty of gratitude to Charlotte McAleer as Lady Larken, Robbie Ansley as Sir Harry, Seamus Landis as The Minstrel, Pieridae Barbach as The Jester, Hailey Yeater as The Wizard, Tommy Kane as Sir Studley/Knight, Alexsander Jasper as Sir Luce/Knight, Alyssa Sheriff as Lady Rowena/

Pantomime Princess, Mallory Smith as Lady Merrill/Mabelle and Shae as Emily the Maid/Wench/Lady. No talent was left unnoticed. 

The musical was captivating for the Shippensburg University crowd. A mixture of lighting, production, song and excitement led to a world of love, which was once upon a… mattress. 

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