PEACOCK PLAYERS

in association with Concord Theatricals

presents

Music by Mary Rodgers 

Book  by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer

Lyrics by Marshall Barer

Musical Numbers

ACT ONE

  • “Prologue” – The Minstrel, The Jester, Company
  • “An Opening For a Princess” – Prince Dauntless, Lady Larkin, Lucille, Rowena, Company
  • “Many Moons Ago (Reprise)” – Company
  • “Shy” – Princess Winnifred, Prince Dauntless, Ladies, Knights
  • “Sensitivity” – Queen Aggravain, The Wizard
  • “The Swamps of Home” – Princess Winnifred, Ladies
  • “The Minstrel, The Jester, and I” – The Minstrel, The Jester, The King

ACT TWO

  • “Happily Ever After” – Princess Winnifred, Prince Dauntless, Ladies
  • “Yesterday I Loved You” – Sir Harry, Lady Larkin
  • “Spanish Panic” – Company
  • “Song of Love” – Prince Dauntless, Princess Winnifred
  • “Quiet” – Queen Aggravain, Knights, Ladies
  • “Finale” – Company

Plot Summary

Act One

The Minstrel and the Jester, serving as our narrators, introduce us to a kingdom that existed many moons ago. This kingdom is ruled by a King cursed by silence and his very talkative wife, the queen. The Queen has decreed that until her son, Prince Dauntless, finds a suitable princess for a wife, no one in the kingdom is allowed to marry.

After Princess #12 fails her princess test, administered by the Wizard, Prince Dauntless, Lady Larken, Lucille, and Rowena bemoan their inability to find true love and get married. Sir Harry, the beloved knight of Lady Larken, sets off on a quest to find a princess worthy of Prince Dauntless… or at least one who can pass the impossible tests concocted by the queen and her wizard.

Sir Harry returns with a very unusual princess: Princess Winnifred the Woebegone of the swamplands. She arrives at court and excitedly introduces herself, apologizing for being “shy”. Prince Dauntless is immediately smitten, and the kingdom is excited to see a princess who just might be able to pass the test. Horrified at the potential of losing her baby boy, the Queen plots with the Wizard to create a nearly impossible task to prove Winnifred unworthy. They decide to test her sensitivity by testing to see if her sleep is interrupted by hiding a single beneath twenty mattresses.

Meanwhile, Winnifred tells the ladies in waiting about her home in the swamp and meets the King, and they immediately like each other. Then, after spilling a vase of flowers, Winnifred is caught cleaning the mess by Lady Larken who mistakes her for a chambermaid. Harry gets mad at Larken for her mistake and they get in a fight. Larken vows that she will run far far away where she will never see him again. The King overhears the argument and confides through pantomimes to his confidantes, the Minstrel and the Jester. He tells them to not say a word, but they both are more worried about the King letting it slip, because even though he is mute, he can still communicate.

Act Two

Fred and Dauntless study for the test, and Fred convinces Larken to fix things with Harry. Dauntless bids Fred goodnight, and now she is left alone. With her ladies-in-waiting, she complains about how other fairy tale princesses had it easy and how she wants to live happily ever after. Larken goes to find Harry and reconcile.

Later that night, the Queen throws a ball so Winnifred can dance the most exhausting dance in the world, “The Spanish Panic”. The Queen hopes that Winnifred will tire herself, but the plan fails. Winnifred is the last one standing as everyone collapses from exhaustion at the dance’s climax. She asks Dauntless to try to give her a clue as to what the test might be, but he’s not sure. Winnifred mentions that her nickname is Fred and Dauntless sings of his love for her as she practices numerous tasks she might have to do for the test.

Fred grows tired, and the Queen prepares her bedchamber with the twenty mattresses. An exhausted Winnifred tries to fall asleep, but is kept wide awake. It seems that there is some “lump” under the mattresses that is keeping her from relaxing. She starts counting sheep.

The next morning, everyone gathers in the throne room to see if Winnifred passed the test. Queen tells Dauntless to his great disappointment that the test has already happened and what it was. Dauntless is heartbroken until Winnifred drowsily stumbles into the throne room while still counting sheep. Everyone is ecstatic that Winnifred has passed but the Queen insists that Dauntless should not throw himself away on Winnifred. Dauntless has had enough of his mother’s attempts to control his life and finally tells her off. The curse on the King is lifted (the “mouse”- Dauntless, has metaphorically devoured the “hawk”- Queen Aggravain). Aggravain discovers that she cannot talk and the King can, so Dauntless and Winnifred are free to be married.

Finally the real reason why Winnifred passed the test is revealed. After learning about the test, the King, Minstrel, and Jester stuffed the mattresses full of a variety of bulky items. All the items are removed by the Minstrel and the Jester in the finale. After the items are removed Winnifred climbs to the top of the mattresses and finally falls asleep. Everyone, in classic fairy-tale tradition, lives happily ever after.

Cast List

* denotes a Peacock Players Mainstage debut.

Princess Winnifred
Izzy Bedy

Prince Dauntless
Olivia Cartagena

Queen Aggravain
Cameron Straker

The King
Owen Bedy*

The Wizard
Lia Spaulding

Sir Harry
Andersen Martin

Lady Larken
Abigail Banner

The Minstrel
Anna Paradise

The Jester
Fiona Rafalski

Lucille
Ava Simone Durden

Rowena
Abby Mickle

Princess #12
Kayla Prescott

Ladies-In-Waiting
Rebecca Carey
Summer Delyani*
Abby Lombardi*
Kathryn Manchester*
Addison Raymond
Shayla Rourke
Reid Saddler*

Knights
Graham Cooper*
Tommy English*
Christian Gouveia
Lyra Plerhoples
Kayla Prescott*
Lexie Ross

Production Staff

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
Amelia English

MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Michael Hoffman

CHOREOGRAPHER
Elle Millar

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER
Olive Gunnis

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER
Carly Pascal

BACKSTAGE EDUCATOR
Kelli Loughlin

STAGE CREW
Raylynn Despres, Maggie Dustin, Maizie Hennessy, Colin Scribner, Sophia Scribner, Kendall Toupin, Gabby Wallace

SCENIC DESIGN LEADS
Rayssa Santos, Amelia English, Elle Millar

SCENIC CREATION VOLUNTEERS
Michelle Bedy, Natasha Briere, Tyler Briere, Sue Cooper, Jackie Cormier, Fred Daniels, Amelia English, Thomas English, Will English, Taylor Kudalis, Elle Millar, Gray Paradise, Lyra Plerhoples, Colin Scribner, Sophia Scribner, Tommy Stachowiak, Gabby Wallace

COSTUME DESIGN
Allison Szklarz

LIGHTING DESIGN
Thunder & Lightning Productions

LIGHTING BOARD OPERATOR
Carly Pascal

SOUND DESIGN
Thunder & Lightning Productions

HOUSE MANAGER
Michelle Bedy

DIGITAL PLAYBILL & GRAPHICS DESIGN
Elle Millar

WEBSITE DESIGN
CleverLight Media

OFFICE COORDINATOR
Amelia English

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Elle Millar

Special Thanks to

Diane Veino & City Hall Administrative Services
Ross Dugas & The Risk Management Department
Jay Hunnewell, Mike Migneault, & the Department of Public Works
Jeff Millar
Nashua House of Pizza
The Bedy, Cooper, English, and Scribner Families

And the countless Peacock Players students, parents, alumni and volunteers that helped to guide and support this specific Mainstage production.

Peacock Players Board of Directors

BOARD CO-PRESIDENTS
Shannon Galinson & Jenn Morton

VICE PRESIDENT
Michael Giannetti

TREASURER
Fred Daniels

SECRETARY
Sarah Delisle

ACTIVE MEMBERS
Robin Anderson
Shoshanna Kelly
Sasha Kuftinec
June Lemen

ADVISORY MEMBERS
Brad Galinson
Chris Lewis

FORMER PRESIDENT
Kristen Sinnott

EX OFFICIO
Brad Jamieson