The Princess and the Handmaiden at Watermark
Watermark Theatre will present the Kitbag Theatre production of The Princess and the Handmaiden written and composed by Leslie Arden from March 10th to 12th as part of the Watermark Children’s Theatre Festival. The production will be directed by Melissa MacKenzie and star Jacob Hemphill, Melissa MacKenzie and Rebecca Parent.
Mean Girls meets Brothers Grimm in this fantastically clever family musical about loyalty, friendship, magic potions, and finding yourself. Whose grass is greener — the good-hearted, pampered princess, or her jealous, hard-working handmaiden? The tale follows these two young women on a journey to a distant kingdom to cure an ailing king. Once best friends, the princess and the handmaiden find themselves driven apart by jealousy and a lack of understanding for each other’s circumstances. The handmaiden tricks the princess and takes her place in the new kingdom. The princess, meanwhile, has to fight to prove who she is. Join us for this daring tale of friendship, forgiveness, and finding yourself. Fun for the whole family!
Leslie Arden is an award winning composer, lyricist and librettist who has written and composed over a dozen musicals, including the critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning The House of Martin Guerre, and the Chalmers Award winning The Happy Prince. Leslie composed the music for Canadian Stage Company’s productions of The Beard of Avon and It’s a Wonderful Life, in which she also performed. She’s been commissioned by choirs all across Canada, and she’s spent five seasons as a composer with The Stratford Festival.
Melissa MacKenzie is an artist, educator, and activist from PEI. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance from Sheridan College. Recent credits include: Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (Theatre New Brunswick), Dear Rita (Charlottetown Festival), Johnny & June, Tuesdays & Sundays, good girl (Kitbag Theatre), Signed Sealed Delivered (Harmony House), It’s a Wonderful Life (Magnus Theatre), Kitsault (Pucl & Price), Anne & Gilbert (The Guild), Perfect Wedding, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Stephenville Theatre Festival), We Are Canadian, Soul of the Island (Charlottetown Festival Young Company).
Jacob Hemphill is an actor/musician/producer born and raised on Prince Edward Island. Jacob graduated with an Honours Bachelor in Theatre & Opera at Dalhousie University. Recent credits include: Johnny & June, Tuesdays & Sundays (Kitbag Theatre); The Songs of Anne & Gilbert (The Guild); Boeing Boeing, Crimes of The Heart, Dial ‘M’ for Murder, A Moon for the Misbegotten (Watermark Theatre).
Charlottetown native Rebecca Parent is a theatre artist with over 15 years of professional experience. She is the French-language coordinator for Ontario art organization Sheatre, and sits on the executive committee of the Fédération culturelle de l’ÎPÉ. Selected acting credits: What a Young Wife Ought to Know, Unconscious At the Sistine Chapel (2b theatre), six seasons at the Watermark Theatre, Anne & Gilbert (Guild PEI), Top Girls (Lunasea), High School Musical (Neptune).
All Covid-19 provincial rules and regulations will be in place, including vaccine passport requirements, physical distancing, mask wearing, hand sanitizing, etc.
For ages 5+, 60 minutes
Students $8, Adults $12
Tickets are now on sale at http://www.ticketwizard.ca
Or by calling the box office at 902-963-3963
Watermark Theatre’s Mandate
Located in North Rustico, PEI, on land that is the traditional unceded territory of the Mi’Kmaq, the Watermark Theatre is a professional theatre company that produces time-honoured plays, as well as contemporary plays that resonate with our times.
As a company we are led by the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility and commit to incorporating these core values in everything we do.
We prioritize environmental stewardship and sustainability.
The Watermark Theatre is dedicated to the development of the next generation of theatre artists and arts administrators through mentorship and professional training.
In all of our programming we strive for artistic excellence while endeavouring to inform, affect, and engage our audience and our community.
For more information please contact Lara Dias at 902-963-3963 or admin@watermarktheatre.com
Watermark Theatre
57 Church Hill Ave
North Rustico, PE
C0A 1X0
(902) 963-3963
http://www.watermarktheatre.com
Theatre PEI
Theatre PEI 