Once Upon A Mattress Rough Timeline February: ● 24: Audition packets are available online and from Mrs. Sullivan. March: ● 17: AUDITIONS! In the Commons during 3rd period choir class. Cast and Crew applications DUE with audition ● 19: AUDITIONS! In the Commons during 3rd period choir class. Cast and Crew applications DUE with audition ● 20: Crew Interviews throughout the class and day. CAST LIST POSTED DURING PRIDE. Librettos and Crew Scripts are given during Pride for Spring Break practicing. ● There will be NO REHEARSALS during Spring Break: Students will be expected to have a firm grasp on their lines and songs by the time they return from break. April: ● Daily in-class rehearsals for cast and crew. ● Crew and Music X class begin working on props and set pieces. ● Order/rent costumes for cast members. ● 15, 22, & 29: Wednesday morning rehearsals. Breakfast provided from 7:30-7:45. Rehearsal begins at 7:45 PROMPTLY and runs until 9:15. May: ● 6 & 13: Wednesday morning rehearsals. Breakfast provided from 7:30-7:45. Rehearsal begins at 7:45 PROMPTLY and runs until 9:15. ● 1-15: Daily in-class rehearsals ● 11 & 12: MANDATORY! Tech run-through rehearsals 3:15-5:30. After-school snack ​ ​ ​ provided. Full lights and sound rehearsal. ● 13 & 14: MANDATORY! Full Dress Rehearsals 3:15-6:00. After-school snack ​ ​ ​ provided. Full run-throughs with costumes and tech. ● 14: MANDATORY! Morning teaser performance for elementary and other students. ​ ● 15: SHOW! Call time is 5:00 pm and Curtain is at 7:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ● 16: TWO SHOWS! o Matinee Call time is 12:00 pm and Curtain is at 2:00 p.m. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. o Evening Call time is 5:00 pm and Curtain is at 7:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Once Upon A Mattress Full Synopsis Once Upon A Mattress is based on the famous fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea. ​ ​ Because of her noble birth, the Princess is unable to sleep on a bed of many mattresses when a tiny pea is placed underneath the bottom mattress. The kingdom is an unhappy one. King Sextimus has been struck dumb by a witch's curse and is condemned not to speak again until "the mouse devours the hawk!" Queen Agravia has assumed power and she talks enough for the whole Royal household. She has decreed that no one in the Kingdom may wed until Prince Dauntless is married to a true princess of Royal blood. So far the Queen has tested the eligibility of eleven applicants and each has failed the almost impossible tests the Queen has devised. The Knights and Ladies of the Court are most distressed by the situation but the most concerned are Lady Larken and her handsome lover, Sir Harry. Lady Larken has informed Sir Harry that he is to be a father so the situation is quite desperate. Sir Harry, determined to find a true princess, sets off for, until now, unexplored parts and returns with Princess Winnifred. She arrives dripping wet, having swam the moat and proceeds to act as unlike a princess as one could possibly imagine. Prince Dauntless is very impressed by the new princess and is soon obviously in love with her - to the consternation of the angry Queen, who decides to give her an impossible test. She consults the Wizard and together they decide on the the sensitivity test - a pea is placed beneath twenty mattresses and the Queen decrees that if Princess Winnifred cannot sleep she will prove her royal birth. However, to ensure that she does sleep, she proceeds to do everything to make her tired out. A ball is held where the dancing is fast and furious and Winnifred is encouraged to drink heavily. She is also given a sleeping draught and a singing bird is provided to sing her to sleep. However, the Queen fails, for Winnifred cannot sleep and spends the night counting sheep. The Queen is furious and orders Princess Winnifred to leave, but Prince Dauntless defies her and puts an end to the curse upon the King for, as the Jester proclaims, "the mouse has devoured the hawk!" At the final curtain, we discover that the Princess was unable to sleep because the Jest has placed under the top mattress his lute, a helmet, a large spiked ball, some livestock and some old armour. Of course, all ends happily and the Queen is punished. Princess Winnifred the Woebegone - is down-to-earth and without ​ pretensions. Unlike what you might expect from of a princess, Winnifred is just an ordinary, high spirited girl. Having grown up in the swamps, she doesn't conduct herself in the formal way the others in the castle do. It is her natural, ingenuous quality that sets her apart from the other Ladies of the kingdom and makes Dauntless fall in love with her. Prince Dauntless the Drab - as him name implies, is kind of a ​ sad-sack and somewhat listless. Although his overbearing mother controls his life and he is an obedient son, he still has hopes of someday finding a girl to marry of whom his mother will approve. Like Winnifred, he is honest and sincere. She gives him confidence in himself and within the course of the musical, we see him grow in self-assurance until he is finally able to confront his mother. Queen Aggravain - as her name suggests, is extremely vain, ​ believing that her way of doing things is the only way. She is devoted to her son, Dauntless, and has no intention of ever allowing him to leave her or to have another woman in his life. She selfishly dominates everything that happens in the castle, never considering the feelings of others. The Silent King - has been brow-beaten by the Queen and is very ​ passive. He has learned that it is easier just to let the Queen have her own way than to fight her. Because he has not been able to speak for so long, he has learned to communicate through pantomime, or gestures. He loves his son and sympathizes with him but realizes he can do little to help him. Despite his frustrations, he is extremely good natured. Lady Larken - is a sweet girl but, perhaps because she is in love but ​ unable to marry, she tends to be oversensitive. She is extremely frustrated that she can't marry Harry, but also extremely excited at the opportunity to be Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Winnifred. Of all the Ladies, it is Larken who most hopes that Winnifred will pass the test. Sir Harry - is a regular guy and, like Larken, is eager for Dauntless to ​ find a bride so that he and Larken can marry. He is brave and dedicated enough to venture on a "perilous journey" in hopes of finding a genuine princess whom the Queen will find suitable as a bride for Dauntless. The Minstrel and The Jester - are court entertainers and they have a ​ great sense of joy in what they do. They sometimes serve as narrators and are assured in their ability to tell the story with authority. There is also something playful and mischievous about them. Either role may be played by a boy or girl. The Wizard - is the Queen's confidant, her only friend and therefore ​ the only person she can really talk to. However, he, like everyone else in the kingdom, is apprehensive of the Queen and would never have to courage to contradict her. Ensemble - Lady Lucille - Small role, very few lines, no solos Sir Studley - Small role, very few lines, no solos Lady Rowena - Small role, very few lines, no solos Lady Beatrice - Small role, very few lines, no solos Sir Harold - Small role, very few lines, no solos Princess No. 12 - Small role, very few lines, no solos Ladies and Knights of the Kingdom - Small role, very few lines, no solos Tips for Auditioning for a Musical! One of the most important steps you must take before you audition for musical theater is: ● Make sure you are familiar with the musical. You'll do a better job at the audition if you study the story or watch it on a DVD. The musical itself may be slightly different than the movie but at least you will be familiar with it. You will also know which part you want to go out for. Also, knowing the musical helps to give you more self-confidence during your audition. Check your local library for CDs or DVDs as well as You tube.com. ● Never sing a song from the musical you audition for unless you are specifically asked to do so. Instead, find a song in a musical that is similar to the one you are auditioning for. This is a standard rule. ● Show confidence. If you don't feel confident then pretend you are. You are in charge. Own the song. ● Make the lyric come alive. What marks the difference between a singer and an artist is the interpretation of a lyric. ● Play to your strengths. Sing songs that you know you’re good at, those that enhance your finest singing qualities. Keep in mind that the songs you like the best may not be right for you ● The more you practice, the stronger your confidence will be. Leave nothing to chance. If you find that you run out of breath too soon then practice diaphragmatic ​ breathing. Work, work, work until you get it right. ​ An audition is your moment to shine.