The Show Must Go On

AC Valley students find new performance space in old school

Its a little of the old mixed in with the new as the curtain opens tonight on AC Valley's rendition of "Once Upon a Mattress" at the Crawford Center this weekend. 

The musical is a new twist on the old-fashioned fairy tale of the Princess and the Pea. And the performance is the first high school show at the nearly 100-year-old building in more than five decades. 

First-time director Sara Black arranged for the show at the community building due to ongoing renovations at the high school in Foxburg. It was a decision that brought with a set of challenges and a little extra energy from the cast. 

"The first day we toured the Crawford Center (formerly the Emlenton School) and had rehearsal, the kids were astounded at all the relics they saw. We sat and imagined what musicals may have been performed on that stage," Black said. "It definitely added to the energy (among the students)."

Finding the space to use was just the first hurdle to making the show a reality for Black and the young cast.

"For me, it was about meeting the right people," Black said. "Once Paul Newbury showed me in early January that the Crawford Center could handle sound equipment, I knew we could have a show." From there, community members and parents picked to help with a variety of tasks from lighting and costumes to assisting with rehearsals and putting together the program.  

"For the (students), the aha-moment was one of our first Saturday practices when everyone was working hard to learn the choreography to 'Opening for a Princess.' They all leaned on each other and put in the work. This was the moment I knew that we, as a group, could do this," she said.

The cast call was open to sixth through 12 grade students. Twenty-six students signed on, many from the lower grades. "I have a young cast and they have been very open to learning dynamics, blocking and choreography. The growth of these kids has also been astounding."  ​

"Once Upon a Mattress" tells the story of an immature prince who is looking for a spouse, an overbearing mother who doesn't want to see him marry, and a nontraditional princess who succeeds in winning his love. Throw a mute king, a few silly jesters and a minstrel, and a love-sick couple into the mix and the story is a whimsical tale of a reimagined, forgotten time. Shows will be held at 7 p.m. tonight and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Overflow parking and shuttle service will be provided from several lots in the community, including the ball fields, local churches and the bike trailhead.