After more than two months of preparation, students from the Olds High School drama club are nearly ready to present this year's musical production, Once Upon A Mattress: The Story of the Princess and the Pea.
After more than two months of preparation, students from the Olds High School drama club are nearly ready to present this year's musical production, Once Upon A Mattress: The Story of the Princess and the Pea.
The production includes 58 cast and crew members drawn from all grades at the school. The production this year includes roles that many of the actors haven't played before, such as royals, ladies and knights that will expand the students' acting abilities, said director Rhonda West. The play has a much lighter theme this year than last year's production of The Sound of Music. Many people also won't be as familiar with the fairy tale as they were of The Sound of Music, she said.
"We've been able to have fun with it. It's not such a heavy script. Also, people don't know the story as well, so we have the freedom to use our own imagination, we don't have to worry about (the audience's) idea of what our play is going to be. It's been a lot more fun," West said.
The story centres on Prince Dauntless and the edict that none of the peasants can marry until Dauntless is paired. The play follows the attempts of the court to find an appropriate princess for him to marry. It is based on the children's story by Hans Christian Andersen.
"There's so many interesting characters in the play, and because I have so many talented actors, they're bringing fun characters with them. And it's just amazing how I don't know who's going to steal the show. There's always a person that steals the show, and this year I don't know who it's going to be because they're all coming forward with such amazing characters," West said.
Erin Schultz, a Grade 12 student who plays Winnifred, said she was drawn to the role because she doesn't act the way a princess should.
"Winnifred is anything but a princess. She's not proper, not prim, not anything like a princess should be. She's very fun, exuberant and very entertaining," she said.
This will be Schultz's ninth production while a student at the school.
Maeghan Wild, a Grade 11 student, will play King Sextimus, a silent part in the story. Because of that — and having to play a male role — Wild said she was challenged by the part. This is her second production.
"I have to be a lot more exaggerated than everyone else on stage because I don't have my voice to back up what I'm saying or what I'm doing. It's also hard being a girl playing a male character because all of my actions have to appear manly, but also exaggerated, so finding a line there can be difficult sometimes. It's a fun challenge," she said.
Cheyenne Cranston, a Grade 11 student who plays Lady Larken, said she was drawn to the character because of the fun songs her character sings. This is Cranston's third production.
"Larken's a very fun character. She has a lot of fun songs (to sing) and she has a lot of fun dynamic," she said.
Danielle Prevost, a Grade 12 student who plays Queen Aggravain, said she enjoys the opportunity to play the main villain of the story.
"It's definitely a challenge because I would never act the way this character does, so I get to be a completely different person. That's what (drew) me to this role to be the villain because she just gets to be so outrageous," she said.
The play runs on November 22, 23, 29 and 30 at 7 p.m. and on Nov. 24 and Dec. 1 at 2 p.m. at the TransCanada Theatre. Tickets are $10 and are available at the OHS office, by dialing 403-556-3391 or at www.oldskiwanis.org/concert.htm.
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