Theatre Building, Mainstage Theatre

Once Upon a Mattress, a comic masterpiece based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Princess and the Pea, propelled Carol Burnett to stardom as Winnifred the Woebegone, a simple swamp princess hoping to win the hand of the prince despite all odds. This hilariously wacky romp is filled with witty, charming, and wonderfully romantic songs and dance numbers composed by Mary Rodgers. It serves as a delightful bookend to a season that began with a neglected gem by her father, Richard Rodgers.

The UWM Theatre Department's exploration of the moors culminates with an imagined reunion of 19th-century heroines from Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, and Little Women. Only this time around, these heroines resolutely decline the advances of their famous suitors and grapple with the challenge of reconciling historical romantic ideals with their contemporary perspectives on courtship. This clever play offers an empowering perspective on a group of women who not only reject their passionate suitors but also defy the conventions and societal norms expected of them.

The UWM Theatre Department's second stop on their journey across the mysterious moors of Britain takes us to Scotland with Shakespeare's dark masterpiece and gothic love story gone awry, Macbeth. Combining elements of a ghost story, a horror movie, and a revenge tragedy, this Western Art landmark invokes the supernatural and the deeply psychological as it navigates the collapse of a power couple's souls into darkness, ravaged by the malignant rot of the ultimate sin of murder. Highly theatrical, hard-hitting, and fast-paced, this production showcases some of Shakespeare's most stunning poetry and a love story for the ages – the dark ages.