Box-office is now open for the Drama Club production of “Once Upon A Mattress: Youth Edition.” Performances for this fun and quirky retelling of the classic Princess and the Pea fairytale are Friday, November 10 at 7pm and Saturday, November 11 at 2pm. Sponsored by Entergy, all tickets are $5 with reserved seating.

The Drama Club, open to students grades 7-12, produces a youth theatre musical or stage production each year.  This fall the dedicated cast and crew includes 27 area students from El Dorado, Smackover, Parkers Chapel, Crossett, Camden, and Spearsville, Louisiana.

Queen Aggravain (Kaylee Sullivant) and The Silent King (Luke Legg) formally invite you to their kingdom for the celebration of the forever-single marital status of Prince Dauntless (Parker Thomas). That is, unless Princess Winnifred the Woebegone (Gracie Robertson) has anything to say about it!  With twelve princesses having failed to pass the Queen’s test, Princess Winnifred stands the best shot to pass!

This witty musical is the retelling or the “true story” of “The Princess and the Pea” fairy tale. Since no one in the land can wed til’ Dauntless to the altar is led, Sir Harry (John David Williamson) searches far and wide for a princess so he may marry his fair maiden, Lady Larken (Alyssa Purifoy).

Alas, Princess Winnifred has some help in the way of the Jester (Wiley Taylor), the Minstrel (Zoe Pyle), and the King himself!  The ensemble of knights, lords and ladies includes Braelyn Allen, Lilly Bergeron, Isabella Emadi, Carley Gilkey, Bram Johnson, Nia Keller, Hailee Lawrence, Elizabeth Legg, Lexi Louden, Luke Louden, Addy Miller, Ethan Mixon, Sydney Patterson, Emma Purifoy, and Analee Sanchez.

With a test of sensitivity involving twenty stacked mattresses, Princess Winnifred must find a way to overcome the odds to wed her prince and live happily ever after.  With a scheming Queen and Wizard (Gideon Moncrief) aiming to make the test impossible, our Princess must leap over every hurdle with a host of others trying to make success a possibility.

The production team is led by Director Lynn Gunter and AD/Music Director Cassie Hickman. Students on the stage crew include Stage Manager Marianna Woolen, and assistant stage managers Will Legg and Ellis Lyles.

“This rollicking, fast paced, one hour adventure is family friendly and full of song and dance,” said AD/Music Director Cassie Hickman. “You don’t want to miss it!”

Follow the link to the “Tickets to the City Online Box-office” to purchase a ticket or call the SAAC office at 870-862-5474.  Ticket prices are $5 for all seat.  SAAC is located at 110 East Fifth Street, El Dorado, Arkansas. “Once Upon A Mattress: Youth Theatre” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals.