Students from the University of Alabama at Birmingham are bringing a classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale to life in a fun and engaging way for children.

A mysterious young woman has arrived in the kingdom claiming to be a princess. The prince is looking for a bride, but his mother the queen is skeptical. How can they determine if she truly is royalty? This commedia dell’arte adaptation by the renowned, award-winning children’s playwright Lane Riosley is bursting with physical humor and witty banter.

Theatre UAB is the performance company of the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Theatre. “The Princess and the Pea” is performed by the department’s student tour group, a company of students who travel to schools and community venues to present theater shows during the school year. It is directed by Assistant Professor Jack Cannon.

This performance is presented through ArtPlay’s Meet the Artist series and is part of its “A Day in the Arts” initiative. “A Day in the Arts” is an additional opportunity to explore the arts at UAB during school field trips. Students may explore the visual arts in Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts just steps away, then hear another short performance and have lunch at the Alys Stephens Center. Teachers also may receive an activity to take home that aligns with the Alabama Course of Study. ArtPlay tailors these “extra” arts experiences to the school’s schedule. Space is extremely limited for “A Day in the Arts.” For questions, contact ArtPlay’s Julie Danley at jldanley@uab.edu.

This event is sponsored in part by The Beacon Foundation. This program is supported by the Alabama Arts License Tag Grant Program, which aims to promote the arts in Alabama, especially arts education, including visual arts, folk arts and performing arts programming.