Schechter Boston is proud to present the 31st year of its all-Hebrew musical. This year’s production is “Once Upon a Mattress,” a take on the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale “The Princess and the Pea,” the delightful tale of a young would-be princess whose royalness is tested by her sensitivity to the presence of a single pea sandwiched among the stacks of mattresses upon which she sleeps.
“Scene after scene, there is splendid and impressive evidence of practice, memorization, collaboration and elbow grease,” head of school Rebecca Lurie, ’93, shares. “The students’ level of Hebrew, Schechter’s belief in the importance of public speaking and healthy challenges, and our unyielding commitment to the arts cannot be overestimated.”
The show is directed and choreographed by Jonathan Gomolka, ’11.
“It is my absolute honor to return to the Schechter community and give back in such a monumental way,” he says. “To come back and direct my own production, and inspire and work with this class, has been a tremendous gift and full circle moment that I am utterly grateful for.”
The students also use this as a growth opportunity.
“Being in ‘Once Upon a Mattress’ means being part of a community that helps and understands each other to produce a better play,” said Ayden Strosberg, ’23, who plays King Sextimus the Silent. “You also learn valuable social skills to be used later on in life.”
“I believe no matter who you are, emotion and expression is the only thing every human has in common,” Gomolka adds. “Performing, creating, connecting with an audience, this is our way of telling each other, ‘We are not alone.’ How cool is that?”
The show will take place at the JCC of Greater Boston. Showtimes are Sunday, March 19, at 2 p.m., and Monday, March 20, at 6 p.m. Click here to purchase tickets.
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