Our princes and princesses have gathered for a little help solving their problems, but it turns out “happily ever after” might not be the whole truth after all.

Monarch Company Presents Unhappily Ever After

Tony Wood

March 24, 2026

The Monarch Company at John Marshall High School invites the community to step into a hilariously twisted fairy tale with their spring production of Unhappily Ever After.

The Frog Prince (Chevy Large) should have been transformed by the Pond Princess’s (Sadi Willis) magical kiss, but something tells us this fairy tale isn’t going as planned.

In this fractured fairy tale comedy, a counselor opens an office to help beloved storybook characters work through their problems, only to discover that no one has actually lived “happily ever after.” Sleeping Beauty refuses to wake up, the Frog Prince insists on remaining a frog, and Cinderella can’t bring herself to leave her beloved cinders behind. As the counselor attempts to fix everyone’s problems, the solutions only create even more chaos.

Pond Princess (Sadi Willis), Sleeping Beauty (Ella Games), and Cinderella (Gracey Tennant) are all wishing for their own happily ever after… if such a thing even exists.

Filled with clever humor, whimsical moments, and catchy musical numbers, Unhappily Ever After features cameo appearances from a lively chorus of fairy tale characters and plenty of silliness for audiences of all ages. The production showcases the creativity and talent of the student performers and production team of Monarch Company.

The production is directed by Elaina DePetro, with technical direction by Nathan Woodring and choreography by Regan Miller. Together with a dedicated student cast and crew, the team brings this playful twist on classic fairy tales to life on the John Marshall stage.

Cinderella (Gracey Tennant) may have fit the glass slipper, but she’d much rather stay comfortable; much to the dismay of Prince Charming (Mason Boyette), her Stepmother (Peyton Brown), and Stepsisters (Emily McBee & Janelle Farmer).

Cast includes Chloe Pickett (Counselor), Cheyenne Harvey (Ms. Scribe), Mason Boyette (Prince Charming), Gracey Tennant (Cinderella), Peyton Brown (Step Mother), Emily McBee (Step Sister 1), Janelle Farmer (Step Sister 2), JJ Brown (Prince Ling), Ella Games (Sleeping Beauty), Sadi Willis (Pond Princess), Chevy Large (Frog Prince), Luna Miller (Rumplestiltskin), Sabrina Eikenberry (Little Bo Peep), Abby Rowe (Little Miss Muffet), and Bella Cuffaro (Little Red Riding Hood & Snow White).

Student crew members include AJ Pintus (Lights) and Joseph Evans (Sound).

Performances in the John Marshall Center for Performing Arts are scheduled for:

• Friday, March 27 at 7:00 PM

• Saturday, March 28 at 7:00 PM

• Sunday, March 29 at 2:00 PM

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and can be purchased at the door. A personalized Marshall County Schools Activity Pass can be used for free admission.

Join Monarch Company for an evening of laughter, music, and a fairy tale where things definitely don’t go according to plan.