As part of Winterfest 2020 Feb. 21-23 in Thompson, Prairie Theatre Exchange will be presenting Robert Munsch’s The Paper Bag Princess, a beloved family story of a princess and a dragon.
Winnipeg playwright Alissa Watson turned the 10-page story into a 50-minute stage production – no small feat – transforming Princess Elizabeth’s world and “adding extra adventures on her journey to rescue her fiancé Prince Ronald.”
Watson is eager to present the adaptation to a mixed audience that includes grown-ups.
“That’s what you’ll be seeing in Thompson,” she says. “I have expanded on the themes that Robert Munsch had in the book, and tried to make it relevant to our present-day sensibilities of our world and how princesses and princes fit into that. In essence, giving the story a modern influence as it was written 40 years ago. I think adults, especially those who are familiar with the stories, will appreciate the relevance.”
Watson got her start in theatre while working as an elementary school teacher.
“I taught primarily music,” she said. “And then I’d run a drama club on the side, where we started writing original scripts. And then after a few years I left to become an actor, because I wasn’t satisfied just performing during my summer break. About eight years ago I auditioned as an actor for a Munsch show. I got a part there, then did a tour with Prairie Theatre Exchange.”
