It’s dress rehearsal time at Lake Oswego Junior High School. In two days “Once Upon a Mattress” will open and the students snacking, dancing, shouting and getting ready will be on stage in front of their friends and family.
However, for many of the student performers in “Once Upon a Mattress,” their cast and crewmates are also their family — a community built around a shared goal.
“I love how it always feels like everybody is always on a sugar high 24/7; that’s the best part. No matter what, even if you’re depressed, they’re gonna match your energy and be there with you. Like empathy, they’ll jump down in the hole with you instead of watching you be depressed. It’s just a big family community,” said Mia Jensen, an LOJ eighth grader. Mia plays the lead, Princess Winifred, of “Once Upon a Mattress.”
Winnifred, or Fred as she is called in the show, is the pivotal princess in the “Princess and the Pea” fairytale of “Once Upon a Mattress.”
Queen Aggravain refuses to let anyone in the kingdom marry until her son, Prince Dauntless, is married to a princess, however, she does not believe that any princess is good enough for the Prince. To challenge Winnifred, she secretly places a single pea underneath 20 mattresses to see if is “sensitive.”
“I love right before my big song ‘Shy,’ the crew has to dump a bucket of water on my head because it’s like a wake-up call,” said Mia. “Shy” takes place after Winnifred swims the castle’s moat out of excitement.
“Once Upon a Mattress” is the final musical in the old LOJ building before construction begins on the new Lake Oswego Middle School next school year.
“I just love listening to all the great voices and acting skills because there are some truly, really amazing people that do this production,” said Leila Longeteig, another eighth grader in the production. “It’s just so fun to watch. I feel like I can express myself without feeling judged because I know and trust all these people that are here.”
Leila plays Queen Aggravain, whose refusal to approve a princess, pushes everyone in the kingdom to their breaking point.
“Usually she’s just the mean queen machine. Now, she laughs at more things and I feel like there’s more life in her,” said Leila. “I love the dynamics between each of the characters. I feel like every character kind of has their own special story. They’re not boring, they’re very interesting,”
Brook Lindsey is the head costumer for “Once Upon a Mattress,” a role on the crew she’s done numerous times in middle school. She hopes to continue working with costumes when she heads to Lake Oswego High School next year.
“My favorite part is probably getting to do all of the ladies’ costumes that have to look good separately and look good together,” said Brook.
Jake Taub, who plays the king, was excited for the opportunity to play a royal. Prince Dauntless’s father, the king is a silent character in “Once Upon a Mattress,” acting like a mime. Last spring, Jake auditioned to play King Arthur in “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,” but was cast as the Jester in the show.
“It honestly feels gratifying and it makes me happy. Typically I don’t really like to sing. I like to sing every now and then, but I couldn’t do it for a full show which is why I enjoy this, so I went from jester to ‘Yes Sir,’” said Jake.
All of the eighth graders were glad that they joined theater and hoped to continue performing when they cross the street and start at LOHS in the fall.
“I think the reason I joined drama in the first place was just to meet new people and hang out with them,” said eighth grader Jasper Calderon. “It’s a really great experience, just to get to know all aspects of life. We have this one common goal that we love drama, so it really doesn’t matter about your grade as long as you enjoy singing and dancing and acting.”
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