Parcel Players present "Once Upon a Mattress"

Parcel Players, Oglebay Institute’s summer theater program, present the musical “Once Upon a Mattress” August 7-10, 2025 at Towngate Theatre.

Curtain is 7pm Thursday-Saturday. A 3pm matinee takes place Sunday, August 10.

All tickets are $17.50. Purchase online, by calling 304-242-7700 or at the door, if available.

The Parcel Players 2025 Season is sponsored by Unified Bank.

About the Play

Many moons ago in a far-off place, Queen Aggravain decreed no couples could marry until her son, Prince Dauntless, found a bride. Princesses came from far and wide to win the hand of the prince, but none could pass the impossible tests given to them by the queen. That is, until the “shy” swamp princess, Winnifred the Woebegone, showed up. Would she be able to pass the sensitivity test, marry her prince and help Lady Larken and Sir Harry to the altar? Carried on a wave of wonderful songs, by turns hilarious and raucous, romantic and melodic, this rollicking spin on the classic tale “The Princess and the Pea” provides some side-splitting shenanigans. For after all, a princess is a delicate thing.

Towngage: Where Community Meets Creativity

Towngate is a cornerstone of creative life in Wheeling and serves as an entertainment destination for residents of the Ohio Valley and beyond. People of all ages and backgrounds gather here to create and experience art onstage. Most of all, Towngate celebrates the essential power of theater to illuminate our common humanity. The community enjoys and participates in hundreds of live performances, classes and workshops year-round.