SMC student performers at recent dress rehearsal for "Princess and the Pea." Photos Ohlen Alexander

Green, round, and hopefully organic, an inconspicuous pea leads to royal matrimony in Hans Christian Anderson's classic tale "The Princess and the Pea," presented by the Saint Mary's College (SMC) Performing Arts Department. In this delightful stage adaptation written and directed by Michael Cook, the actors perform in the aisles as well as on stage to keep the audience engaged. Cook transformed the original one-page story into a 45 minute stage spectacle, with original music written for the show by his wife, professional actress and singer Jeffra Cook.
The production is entirely student produced. It is the culmination of Cook's four-week Children's Theater class, one of the most popular courses offered during SMC's Jan Term. A unique program at SMC, Jan Term is a shortened term during which students are encouraged to branch out from their familiar course load and expose themselves to new areas of learning. As a result, the cast and crew of "The Princess and the Pea" hail from a variety of academic backgrounds. The course is divided into two sections, performers and stage crew, however the production is a highly collaborative endeavor, with both singers and stagehands joining forces to build and paint the set outside of rehearsals.
Over 3,000 people are expected to attend the performance over the course of its four-day run. Local schools such as Camino Pablo, Rheem, Los Perales, Glorietta, Diablo Valley Montesorri, and the Pied Piper Preschool, among others, have arranged to bring their students. Tickets are sold out for most of the performances, but can still be reserved for tonight, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. and tomorrow, Jan. 31 at 4 p.m. by calling (925) 631-4670. Tickets are $8.

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