Atherton’s theatre department is opening sign-ups for those interested in participating in the production of “Once Upon A Mattress”!
“Once Upon A Mattress” is a comedic musical based on The Princess and the Pea. It follows swamp Princess Winifred as she tries to win Prince Dauntless’ hand, and break the tyrannical Queen Aggravarian’s marriage ban, which prevents anyone else in the kingdom from marrying.
On December 1st from 2:30 to 5:30, all interested in performing in the musical are invited to fill out the Actor and Parent Forms, and prepare for the audition with 16 bars of a song of their choice. Auditionees should also be prepared to learn and perform choreography. If invited to callbacks (December 4th from 2:30 to 5), you will be given song selections to learn, and possibly perform cold readings from the script.
Rehearsal dates for actors are on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 2:30 to 5, with a rehearsal schedule being added soon, and not all rehearsals will require all actors.
Shelby Steege teaches theatre and stagecraft at Atherton, and will be the director and producer, using her artistic vision to oversee the process.
If she were to tell anyone what to expect from the musical, it would be the diversity of arts used.
“They can expect that it’s a show that has equal parts singing, non-singing, and dancing. And that we have hired a new choreographer for this production,” Steege said.
Steege notes how the musical has diverse opportunities for actors.
“Part of the reason for why we chose this play is because there’s a lot of roles to be given to students. A lot of female and male roles and roles that could be given to any gender. There’s opportunities for those who won’t sing. There’s solos. There’s a good sized ensemble along with those main and supporting roles,”
Steege said.
Mendy Cumberledge is the band and choir director at Atherton, and will be the music director for the production. Cumberledge will prepare all of the music that is performed on stage, and work with the singers and ensemble, on interpretation and vocal technique.
Cumberledge looks forward to the process of working with the students.
“I love the creativity and energy in the rehearsal process, and the trial and error to create something from a place of honesty and for everybody to come together. And create something really special, and to keep finding things every day,” Cumberledge said.
Cumberledge advises those planning to audition to portray the story behind their chosen song.
“When you do a musical, the music is nothing more than extended dialogue. The music enhances the story that is going on, and it enhances the character and exhibits their emotion at the moment of whatever is happening in the story,” Cumberledge said.
Both Steege and Cumberlege encourage those nervous to give it a shot.
“We are rooting for you to do your best and it’s a very comfortable and supporting environment. Come in and have fun with it. Just create your own little snowglobe. We’re just the viewers and you’re creating the picture,” said Cumberledge.
“Although being in a production has its stresses, it is still a great opportunity to meet people and the production team tries really hard to make sure that people feel as comfortable as possible whether it’s an acting or the role, so that the performance can be something that we’re proud of,” Steege said.
Speaking of the production team, For those interested in the behind the scenes work, (while not auditioning) can also sign up through the Parent Form and Tech Crew Form. Technical departments include the backstage areas such as stage management, assistant directing, lighting, sound, props, scenery, and publicity. Once you are assigned a tech crew position you will meet with the Head of your tech crew, and decide on rehearsal dates. Rehearsals differ depending on which department you’re in, overall averaging twice a week.
Whether wanting to perform to the audience, or work backstage, the Atherton Theatre hopes you try out!
