ONCE UPON A MATTRESS Opens Wednesday at Hackmatack Playhouse

The twist that makes Once Upon a Mattress so interesting is that the main characters provide the humor while the supporting characters take on more serious roles, quite the opposite of what you expect to find in musical comedies, said the director of Hackmatack's upcoming performance of this madcap musical.

"In typical musical theater the main characters are the serious or realistic people and the secondary characters are the comic relief," said director Alexis Dascoulias, who flew in from Hawaii to direct this production. "In this show the main characters are the comic relief and they are bold and fun and bright and quirky, which makes this show a blast."

Dascoulias, it turns out, is more than qualified to expound on the humorous magnificence of this retelling of The Princess and the Pea tale, which will open Wednesday, July 27 at Hackmatack Playhouse in Berwick. Dascoulias, a native of Dover, NH, has had any number of connections to the Broadway show over the years.

She was assistant director for Once Upon a Mattress as a student at UNH, directed a production of it as a teacher at Dover High School and acted in the role of the leading lady, Winnifred, at The Bell Center in Dover. Now Dascoulias is thrilled to be directing the play in Berwick.

"In these tenuous times both socially and politically - it is wonderful to be involved with a piece of theater that is simply full of fun, laughter and warm heart feelings," said Dascoulias, who runs Maui OnStage theater company and manages the 90-year-old historic Iao Theater. "We are spending our rehearsal hours laughing as we discover hilarious nuances in every line."

The music in the show, which opened off Broadway in 1959, was written by Mary Rodgers, the lyrics by Marshall Barer and the script was written by Barer and Dean Fuller.

Although initially nervous about directing someone in a role she played, Dascoulias says she has been delighted with the way Lisa Joyce of Dedham, Mass, plays Princess Winnifred, originally played by Carol Burnett, as well as the way Drew Masse of Lewiston, Maine, originally played by the much less known Joe Bova, has filled the role of Prince Dauntless.

"They are bringing new quirkiness to already quirky characters and that is pure delight to watch," she said.

Dascoulias, who first worked at Hackmatack in the summer of 1986 as an intern, has run the youth summer camp, been co-artistic director with her husband, Steven, and directed or appeared in numerous shows over the years.

"Thirty years later a lot has changed and yet a lot has stayed the same," Dascoulias said. "The charm of the barn is welcoming to all: actors, artists, musicians, technicians and audiences year after year after year."

Once Upon A Mattress will be shown at Hackmatack Wednesdays, through Saturdays from July 27 until Aug. 13. Matinees will also be held Thursdays, July 28, Aug 4 and Aug. 11. For tickets or information, call 207-698-1807 or go to www.hackmatack.org