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Broadway Players of FHS perform ‘Once Upon a Mattress’
FAIRFIELD — The Broadway Players of Fairfield High School presented the musical comedy “Once Upon a Mattress” Friday and Saturday nights at the FHS Auditorium.
The musical was based upon Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea.” It was directed by Noel Wotherspoon, who also did the choreography. Zach Reiter and Hannah Ball conducted the orchestra. Technical direction was provided by John Grunwald and Jim Edgeton. Betsie Wotherspoon was the costume mistress.
On the musical’s opening night, the students reserved a special seat to honor former FHS Spanish teacher Nohema Graber, who died earlier this school year. A picture of her was taped to a chair, with a bouquet of flowers laid upon the seat.
Graber was known for attending every FHS musical or theatrical performance, and asking for autographs from the performers during class the following day.
In a director’s note included in the program, Noel Wotherspoon wrote that she made her first foray into full-time directing last fall, and ended up with a larger cast than she expected, not to mention some complicated technical elements. She endeavored to select a spring musical that would be on a smaller scale, but that was not in the cards.
“That is what you discover with every show as a theatre artist,” she wrote. “Things that appear simple can be deceptively complicated, and there is always a great deal of work to be done.”
Wotherspoon said she chose “Once Upon a Mattress” because of its strong female characters, and that its plot wasn’t centered on a traditional love story. She said that she is incredibly proud of the cast, especially for putting the show together in just eight weeks of rehearsals.
“It is my great pleasure to watch them develop as actors, performers and young adults,” Wotherspoon said. “I continue to be delighted as they show me new things of which I did not know they were capable.”
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
In “Once Upon a Mattress,” Fairfield High School senior Sophia Fritz portrays Queen Aggravain, who rules with an iron fist. She decrees that no one may marry until Prince Dauntless the Drab (played by Conner Hawkins) is presented with a suitable princess to be his bride. (Photo courtesy of Lori Fritz)
In “Once Upon a Mattress,” Lady Larken (played by Allison Hunger, left) desperately needs to marry her sweetheart, Sir Harry (played by Ethan McReynolds). Here they are seen performing the song “Yesterday I Loved You.” (Photo courtesy of Lori Fritz)
The Broadway Players of FHS performed “Once Upon a Mattress” April 22-23, a comedic musical based on the fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea.” Pictured in this scene are, from left, Evie Messer, Marcus Trent, Connor Hawkins, Sophia Fritz, Ethan Jasper, and Erin Epperson is laying down. (Photo courtesy of Lori Fritz)
FHS students set aside a seat for their former Spanish teacher, Nohema Graber, who was known for never missing a performance. They taped a picture of her to a chair and laid a bouquet of flowers upon the seat. (Photo courtesy of FHS)
Performing in “Once Upon a Mattress” are, from left, Allison Hunger (pink dress on the lap of) Brock Curtis, Charity Trent (blue dress on the lap of) Kevin Dorothy; Standing with arms up from left, Emma Price-Burton, Samriddhi Shrestha, Edith Diers, Ella Holderbaum, and Evie Messer is the court jester in the top right. (Photo courtesy of Lori Fritz)
Sophia Fritz as Queen Aggravain and Ethan Jasper as The Wizard have eliminated every princess from every neighboring kingdom with impossible tests. (Photo courtesy of Lori Fritz)
From left are Erin Epperson, Sophia Fritz, Connor Hawkins, and Joseph Clemons in the back. (Photo courtesy of Lori Fritz)
