by Lorie Lewis Ham
Most of us are familiar with the old Hans Christian Anderson Fairytale the Princess and the Pea–especially the part about a young woman who claimed to be a real princess, and how the Queen gave her a test of whether she could feel a pea under 20 mattresses–if she could, then she was a real princess and fit to marry the prince.
Prince Eric (Alex Quezada) & his invisible friend Stanley (Noah Daniel)
Debbie Metzler with the Enchanted Playhouse in Visalia has written a play with her own take on the story, which she directs along with Kay Whistler. In this version, the young Prince Eric (Alex Quezada) is being pushed by his father the King (Russ Robertson) to set aside his invisible friend Stanley (Noah Daniel) and find a princess to marry. Eric has not yet met a princess who interests him and really isn’t the least bit interested in finding one–he would rather read and spend time with Stanley. Trying to get away for a bit, Eric sets off on a walk with Stanley where he meets Princess Candace (Nollaig O’Donoghue)–who isn’t your typical princess–and they hit it off right away. While the plot in this version is a bit different, I really liked the different twists–I felt like they actually made the story more interesting and unique. I especially enjoyed Eric, Stanley, and Candace, who had a great chemistry together. And of course, there was still the traditional center of the story, the mattresses and the pea.
Left to right-Queen Beatrice (Amy McKay), Princess Candace (Nollaig O’Donoghue), Stanley (Noah Daniel), & Eric (Alex Quezada)
My eight-year-old niece loved the show! Her favorites were Stanley and Princess Candace, though she liked everyone. She also liked the fact that there really wasn’t a villain.
This is definitely one of my favorite shows that I have seen at the Enchanted Playhouse the last couple of seasons. Everyone did a great job and it is a nice mix of sweet and funny. Princess and the Pea is a perfect show to take the entire family to! The remaining performances are May 5, 6, 7, 12, and 13, and are presented at Main Street Theater, 307 East Main St. in Visalia, CA. Ticket information can be found on their website.
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Lorie Lewis Ham is our Editor-in-Chief and an enthusiastic contributor to various sections, coupling her journalism experience with her connection to the literary and entertainment worlds. Explore Lorie’s mystery writing at Mysteryrat’s Closet.
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This is definitely one of my favorite shows that I have seen at the Enchanted Playhouse the last couple of seasons. Everyone did a great job and it is a nice mix of sweet and funny. Princess and the Pea is a perfect show to take the entire family to! The remaining performances are May 5, 6, 7, 12, and 13, and are presented at Main Street Theater, 307 East Main St. in Visalia, CA. Ticket information can be found on their website.
Just wanted to see if maybe the princess name was incorrect for Candace and should have been Hannah Polk. Depending on the night you went their rotating princesses and since Nollaig is in the 2nd picture she wouldn’t have been the main princess that night.
The photos were ones taken by a parent as they were the only photos anyone had available. KRL doesn’t usually take their own show photos, they are usually provided by the theatre company. I was told Nollaig was the one that day I saw the show.