When I was a sophomore in high school, the theater department staged Once Upon a Mattress, the silly musical based on The Princess & the Pea story and made famous, really, by Carol Burnett. I’d never before seen a live musical—as it wasn’t part of our family culture—and probably wouldn’t have at all were it not for the fact that I was playing in the orchestra. But Mattress left an indelible impression on me. No, I didn’t suddenly get the itch to take up acting (that would have been socially uncool…this from a band geek!), but here I am having spent the last thirty years writing children’s theater, much of it for Scholastic, and I have to think Mattress must have had some bearing on it.

I haven’t seen Mattress since high school, so I don’t know how much influence it has had on my new adaption of Princess and the Pea. In my version we have the conniving queen and her overly-mothered son, the ubiquitously stiff butler, a saucy cook, and a princess who refuses to adhere to the snooty royal culture of her day. Instead of living “happily ever after,” she instead says, “Nothing personal Eddie, but I like to get to know a person before I commit to anything. I really don’t care if he’s a prince or not. He just needs to be a decent human.”

While most of my plays are aimed at the middle grades, I was specifically attempting to create a package of plays for 2^nd and 3^rd graders that included Pea and The Emperor’s New Clothes. They’re both kind of in the second grade canon. But in the process of crafting them, I started having so much fun inserting middle grade humor, I ended up with two versions: a snarky one aimed at 4^th-6^th graders, and a more traditional telling for the youngers. Compared to most of my plays, the version for older kids is on the easier end of the spectrum, so it’s pretty ideal as a back-to-school ice breaker, or as warm-up for more challenging dramas to come. 

 You’ll find The Princess & the Pea and The Emperor’s New Clothes on our TpT storefront, both individually and as a steeply discounted bundle. You’ll also find the 2^nd and 3^rd grade version—“Two Classic Folktales”—in one package.  We think you and your students will enjoy them.

Thank you Stephanie P., Claire’s Clever Classroom, Wendy W., Amanda W., Leslie W., Jo Ann M., The LessonSmith, Tiffany S., Jacey L., Lynnette C., Katherine R. ,and Camille J. for your recent positive reviews like this one from Jenny H.:  “I love having the reader’s theater option for classic short stories! The students seem to be more engaged when we can read together as a class. I also loved the touch of humor added! Such a great way to read out loud as a class.” Rating: 5/5 (extremely satisfied)

Happy directing!