Auditions for "Once Upon a Mattress"

Red Curtain is excited to annouce auditions for our upcoming production of Once Upon a Mattress, music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer. This production will be directed by Scott B Randall, with music direction by Rose Yurcina and choreography by Katie Wallace. Performances are May 23-June 8, 2025.

Many moons ago in a far-off place, Queen Aggravain decreed no couples could marry until her son, Prince Dauntless, found a bride. Princesses came from far and wide to win the hand of the prince, but none could pass the impossible tests given to them by the Queen. That is, until the “shy” swamp princess, Winnifred the Woebegone, showed up. Would she be able to pass the Sensitivity Test, marry her prince and help Lady Larken and Sir Harry to the altar?

Carried on a wave of wonderful songs, by turns hilarious and raucous, romantic and melodic, this rollicking spin on the classic tale The Princess and the Pea provides some side-splitting shenanigans. For after all, a princess is a delicate thing.

Auditions will be held March 18 and 19. Mandatory dance call and callbacks will be held Mar 20. To audition, reserve a time slot through the button below, then send your head shot and resume to office@redcurtainfoundation.org. Actors should prepare a two minute comedic monologue and around 32 bars of music with accompaniment. A pianist will be on hand, or you may use a Bluetooth speaker. Please, no a capella auditions.

All roles are available. Red Curtain encourgaes unconventional casting including gender blind, color conscious and inclusive casting to promote Diversity in our shows. Ages and gender listed reflect those of the characters, not necessarily of the actors. This is a community theatre production and actors are not paid.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:

QUEEN AGGRAVAIN (F 55+) Alto. The hilariously awful, overbearing and narcissistic matriarch of the kingdom. She will use every tool at her disposal to get her way. She has laid the curse on the kingdom that none may wed until her son, the prince, is married

PRINCESS WINNIFRED "FRED" THE WOEBEGONE (F 18-35) Mezzo-Soprano. The underdog. Fred is the princess of a distant swamp land who comes to woo Prince Dauntless at the behest of Sir Harry. She marches to her own drummer and is therefore not accepted by the other citizens of the kingdom when she first arrives. But her kind nature, honesty and earnest demeanor soon win everyone over...excpet the Queen

PRINCE DAUNTLESS (M 18-30) Tenor. The innocent and doting royal son. He longs for love and to make his mother happy and proud of him. Which is at odds with the fact that he falls in love with Fred the moment he first sees her

JESTER (M 20-45) Tenor. The quick-witted and affable Jester serves as the King's right-hand man

KING SEXTIMUS THE SILENT (M 55+) Any (doesn't have to sing). A victim of a curse in his own right, Sextimus is unable to speak, but that certainly doesn't prevent him from getting his point across. This character will use American Sign Language (ASL) during the show--experience with ASL is a bonus, but not required

LADY LARKEN (F 18-35) Soprano. The demure and fair Lady Larken has a secret growing within her, which requires that she be able to amrry Sir Harry as soon as possible

SIR HARRY (M 20-35) Tenor. The Dashing hero of the show. Harry will do anything to please his dear Lady Larken...until a conflict threatens to tear them apart

MINSTREL (ANY GENDER/AGE) Tenor. A visitor from another kingdom, the Minstrel serves as a sometime-narrator and also gets swept up in the King's shenanigans

WIZARD (M 55+) Baritone. A disgraced magician and the Queen's lackey. Experience with simple magic tricks and sleight-of-hand is helpful

LADT MABELLE (F 20-30) Alto. One of the ladies-in-waiting

LADY ROWENA (F 20-30) Soprano. Another of the ladies-in-waiting

NIGHTINGALE OF SAMARKIND (ANY--PUPPET) Soprano. This puppet also serves the Queen, and loves taunting anyone who crosses Her Majesty

PRINCESS NO 12 (F 16-25) ANY. IS courting the Prince and trying to pass the Queen's tests

SIR STUDLEY (M 18-35) Tenor. A knight of the Royal Court

SIR LUCE (M 18-35) Tenor. Another knight of the Royal Court

KITCHEN WENCH (F ANY AGE) ANY. A Kitchen Wench

LADIES-IN-WAITING, KNIGHTS, SOLDIERS, SERVANTS, MUSICIANS