Theatre Tuscaloosa Presents Once Upon a Mattress July 13-22

June 6, 2018 – Theatre Tuscaloosa will present Once Upon a Mattress July 13-22, 2018, in the Bean-Brown Theatre on the Martin Campus of Shelton State Community College (9500 Old Greensboro Rd.). This classic work was adapted for the stage by Jay Thompson, Marshall Barer, and Dean Fuller with music by Mary Rodgers.

Once upon a time in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a lonely prince who sought the hand of a princess, so his mother ruled that no one in the kingdom could get married until her son found a bride. However, whenever a new princess came along, she managed to sabotage every attempt made to win her son’s love. But Winnifred the Woebegone was different from most other princesses, so Queen Aggravain had to devise a test that only a true princess could hope to pass. Subjects of the kingdom, weary of the queen’s tyranny and longing for love to return to the kingdom, rally behind Winnifred as she faces the impossible test. This musical comedy is a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Princess and the Pea” that made Carol Burnett famous and will have the whole family laughing.

“What I love most about Once Upon a Mattress is its timeless humor,” said Autumn Fuller, who plays Winnifred the Woebegone. “It’s a musical comedy for all ages that I’ve adored since I was a little girl.”

Fuller will be joined by Nate Blakely, Sarah Kathryn Bonds, Grace Conner, Colton Crowe, Saunders Fitzgerald, Alex Freeman, Royce Garrison, Josh Giles, Lindsay Howard, Mallory Ivy, Daelen Jenks, Brent Jones, Olivia LeComte, Bradley Logan, Cailey Mize, Marie Nearing, Kim Palm, Parker Reeves, Vannah Smalley, Monroe Smith, Ivan Taylor, John Walker, and Kathy Wilson.

The production team includes Steve Ray, director and scenic designer; Alex Benford, musical director; Lindsey Jones, choreographer; Erin Hisey, lighting designer; Jeanette Waterman, costume designer; and Ashlyn Lambert, stage manager.

“This show has a specific flavor of ‘wacky.’ Working with the actors to find just the right level of silliness has been so much fun,” said Ray. “It is silly, but it also must be beautiful. After all, fairy tales should tell us how we should live our lives.”

Ray is returning to Theatre Tuscaloosa after directing 2016’s The Producers. He is a special guest director and currently serves as the head of the theatre department at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Ray earned both his B.A. and M.F.A. from The University of Alabama.

Theatre Tuscaloosa’s 2017-2018 season is supported by Shelton State Community College; the City of Tuscaloosa; the Alabama State Council on the Arts; Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc.; WVUA23; and Tuscaloosa Radio. Once Upon a Mattress is sponsored by Synovus, Ameriprise Financial, Alabama Power, and Regions.

Once Upon a Mattress will be presented July 13-22, 2018. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays; Fridays; and Saturday, July 14. Matinee performances will be at 2:00 p.m. on Sundays; Wednesday, July 18; and Saturday, July 21. A pay-what-you-can final dress rehearsal will be presented on Thursday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m., all proceeds of which will benefit the Charlie Dennis Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Tickets are $24 for adults; $20 for seniors, members of the military, and SSCC employees; and $16 for students and children. Special pricing is available in advance for groups of ten or more.

Tickets and more information are available at www.theatretusc.com or at 205.391.2277.

Theatre Tuscaloosa is a 501c3 not-for-profit community theatre located on the Martin Campus of Shelton State Community College. Theatre Tuscaloosa has been enriching the greater Tuscaloosa community since 1971 through quality theatrical productions and educational outreach.