Once Upon a Mattress

Audition Sign-Ups
mattress-auditions-11x17

Production Team Bios

Linda Treash (Director) is a multimedia artist who moved to Barnard in 2001 from New Orleans, where she studied and worked as an art photographer & a performing trapeze artist. Linda has been with BarnArts since its inception, first as a board member and as the Executive Director since 2015. She directed The Art of Dining (2026), The Sound of Music (2025), Young Frankenstein (2024), The Importance of Being Earnest (2024), The Addams Family (2022), A Streetcar Named Desire (2022), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2021), and Waiting for Godot (2019). She is inspired and nurtured by the blending of community and creative expression she finds at BarnArts and strives to support the conversation sparked by both creating and viewing for citizens of all levels of experience. She holds an MFA from the University of New Orleans. 

Parker Eastman (Music Director) 

Lauren Mckeon (Choreographer) is a Theatre Arts educator and choreographer from Brookfield, VT. She returned to Vermont to build a house after living on boats and working as an artist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lauren currently teaches and directs the Drama program at Randolph Union High School. She holds an MFA from San Francisco State University concentrating on sculpture and performance. Lauren has been passionate about dance her entire life, studying dance at Cornish College in Seattle, and dancing for numerous choreographers in the Bay Area. Lauren is excited to join the BarnArts production of Once Upon A Mattress to choreograph something funny, in the round!

Auditions!

 

Saturday, July 25  2-4 pm

Monday, July 27  7-9 pm

or by appointment

 

Director: Linda Treash

Music Director: Parker Eastman

Choreographer: Lauren Mckeon

 

Audition Location

First Universalist Church

6211 Rt 12, Barnard, VT

 

Production Dates 

November 6-15

 

Production Location

Barnard Town Hall

 

9 lead roles plus featured ensemble

All ages and experience levels welcome (14+)

Summary

Prince Dauntless cannot marry without his mother’s approval. And she has MANY thoughts about who is good enough for her baby boy. Meanwhile, no one else in the kingdom is allowed to marry until Dauntless does, and Lady Larken and Prince Harry have a bit of a deadline coming up…! A desperate Prince Harry goes off on a princess quest and returns with a moat-swimming Princess Winnifred! (She swam the moat?) Could a swamp princess be just what the kingdom has been waiting for?

This isn't your great-great grandmother’s fairy tale, but it might be your Mother or Grandmother’s! Once Upon a Mattress is full of puns, laughs, and heart, and famously kicked Carol Burnett into the high-comedy spotlight as the strange but winsome Princess Winnifred! 

Character Descriptions

Lead:

  • PRINCESS WINNIFRED: Female presenting, under 40ish 
    • Vocal Range – Belt (A3 to F5)
    • She is the antithesis of a storybook princess. She can swim moats, lift weights and prefers her home in the swamp to a fancy castle. She is energetic, adventurous, independent and optimistic.

  • QUEEN AGGRAVAIN: Female presenting, over 40ish
    • Vocal Range – Alto (A3 to B4)
    • Overly protective of her only son, Dauntless. When in a room, she dominates the scene. She is overbearing, energetic, domineering. Should be played comedically.
  • JESTER: Any gender, any age 
    • Vocal Range – Tenor (C#4 to B5)
    • Must be energetic. Secretly loves show business and is especially loyal to the King & the Minstrel.
  • PRINCE DAUNTLESS: Male presenting, under 40ish with boyish style
    • Vocal Range – Baritone (A3 to E5) 
    • Still a “mama’s boy,” but clearly ready to move on. He is child-like, naïve, with an affable sense of innocence. He adores Winnifred and is in awe of her every step.
  • LADY LARKEN: Female presenting, under 40ish
    • Vocal Range – Soprano (B3 to A♭5)
    • The Queen’s Lady-in-Waiting. She is graceful, charming and in love with Sir Harry. She is very anxious for Dauntless to marry so she can wed Harry before her little bundle arrives. Is eager to please and would never cause embarrassment to her beloved Sir Harry.

  • SIR HARRY: Male presenting, under 40ish
    • Vocal Range – Tenor (C4 to F5) 
    • He is a handsome and manly knight, chivalrous, brave, determined…and a bit full of himself. Motivated to find a Princess to marry Dauntless, so he can wed Lady Larken.

  • MINSTREL: Any gender, any age 
    • Vocal Range – Tenor (D4 to A♭ 5)
    • Attractive and “worldly.” Has an air of confidence and enjoys telling the real story to the audience. Likeable and cunning when necessary.

  • WIZARD: Any gender, any age 
    • NON-SINGING role. 
    • The Queen’s loyal confidante. They are magical, mysterious and able to do several magic tricks. Possesses a sense of “the dark side” and Showmanship.

  • KING SEXTIMUS, THE SILENT: Male presenting, over 40ish
    • NON-SINGING role
    • An eye for the ladies! Due to a curse, he is mute, but you always know what he is thinking. He is expressive, mischievous and playful with strong facial and physical comedy. (Strong pantomime skills a plus)

Featured Ensemble: 

  • Sir Studley - A Knight, acquaintance with Sir Harry, possible bird hunter
  • Sir Luce - Another Knight, perhaps a bad influence on Sir Harry.
  • Princess No. 12 - She is the first Princess that the audience sees who is performing the rounds of tests. 
  • Kitchen Wench - Gets chased by the King (consensually!!)
  • Emily - Chambermaid
  • Lady Mabelle - She’s French and doesn’t understand English too well – she just tends to say “Yes” a lot.
  • Nightingale - A royal pet that sings a ridiculous lullaby to put Winnifred to sleep - likely on stage in a flamboyant bird costume!
  • Rowena, Merrill and Lucille - Other Ladies-in-Waiting
  • Knights #1, #2, #3


The ensemble will also be: Soldiers, Servants, Musicians.

Audition Sign-Ups!