Atop 20 “mattresses,” Dartmouth Middle School’s Aja Crockett will be settling down for a few restless nights this April.

And it won’t be the dozens of eyes in the audience keeping her up, but rather a small pea wedged neatly beneath the tower of bedding. 

This strange experiment may actually sound quite familiar as the Middle School Drama Club plans to put on “Once Upon a Mattress,” a retelling of the story of the princess and the pea. 

However, according to co-director Alex Bernardo, who teaches eighth grade, this will be the “true version" of the events, rather than the fairytale many have come to know. 

A musical comedy, the show was written by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Marshall Barer with music and lyrics by Mary Rodgers and Barer, and had its Broadway debut in the late 1950s, with Actress and Comedian Carol Bernett in the lead role of Winnifred. 

The story follows Winnifred the Woebegone, who is the 13th princess to take on the unfair tests set by Queen Aggravain, which determine whether someone is fit to marry the prince. Testing her sensitivity, the unjust queen has Winnifred sleep atop 20 mattresses, with just a tiny pea beneath them. 

Dartmouth Middle School’s very own Winnifred, who is played by eighth-grader Crockett, said she appreciates the character’s humor and how “out there” she is. 

This production will be featuring the youth edition of the musical, which is slightly shorter and more tailored for younger audiences, Bernardo explained. 

“It’s a very funny show,” he said. “I like that there’s all different roles for middle school students.”

Eighth graders Olivia Rocha and Avery Parker, who will be playing the roles of the jester and minstrel, respectively, said they are excited for their characters. 

Rocha said she loves the “quirkiness” of the jester as well as the costume, which shines on stage with its various colors and gems.

Parker said her favorite part of her character is playing someone who is best friends with her real-life best friend, Rocha. 

The three eighth graders have done a few shows with the theater program so far, but they said the biggest challenge continues to be remembering lines and lyrics. 

However, they shared some of their tricks they use to prepare for the show, including using Quizlet, which is an online studying program, practicing reading lines with friends and just constant repetition. 

The set pieces were no easy feat for this show either, according to Bernardo, as he pointed out the tower of beds, which sits at 6 feet high, with 20 “mattresses” made from wood, paint and some “theatrical magic.”

Additionally, quite a lot of costumes were needed for the musical, with 36 students cast in total. 

Nine of those students will be a part of the main cast, but “there was a lot of interest this year,” Bernardo said. 

Rocha said she’s most looking forward to the “adrenaline rush” before going onstage, adding that she loves theater for its opportunities to make new friends and try new things. 

Crockett noted her time with the middle school’s theater program has given her experience with learning lines and auditioning. 

“You learn things you never thought about before,” she added. 

The girls’ final words about the play were: “You should come see it!”

The Musical Tale of "The Princess and The Pea” is set to take the Dartmouth Middle School auditorium stage Friday night, April 11 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 12 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door. 

The production is directed by Alex Bernardo and Karen McDaid; choreographed by Christienne DaSilva; with musical direction from Tara Thomas; and technical direction from Adam Desjardins.