I Wanna Be A F*cking Princess by Jenny Connell Davis is a beautiful picture of friendship, even when friendship doesn’t look that beautiful. At first, I thought its silly dance numbers and frantic energy felt cliché. But Ground Floor Theatre director Patti Neff-Tiven clearly knows how to balance the frantic with the heartfelt; by the end, I couldn’t help but cry. Women are just so wonderful! But I Wanna Be A F*cking Princess isn’t just “about women” – it’s about growing up, and growing apart; about the thoughtless things we say even to our best friends; about forgiving graciously; about being known for your whole life and what a mortifying ordeal that is. It’s also about the pain and consequences of abuse, specifically by men against women.

We’re introduced to each woman in the play – Zel, Nieve, Ruby, Bella, and Dre – scene by scene, and while we don’t learn anyone’s entire life story, we learn the parts that matter – the parts that have shaped them into who they are and this group into what it is. The play is non-linear, zooming into a college interaction in one scene and then whooshing away to a childhood memory and then fast-forwarding again to a class reunion. Wound around these life stories is a motif of princesses, fairy tales, and happy endings. In some way or another, each woman on stage just wants to be a fucking princess. And in some way or another, it’s not Prince Charming that comes through for each of them; it’s the women in their life, again and again. As it turns out, most of the time, “Prince Charming” is just the Big Bad Wolf in disguise.

Each woman in this play tries her best to be the best woman she can be, and each are very different in style and approach. As Zel, Shannon Grounds begins the play enthusiastic, energetic, a little crazed. Her character arc may have been my favorite to watch. Zel’s wild, drunk, and shouty friendship changes and grows to a warm, loyal, mature dedication to her friends with a radiant smile that never fades. She remains the closest with Dre (Danu Mara), who grew up with her very own wicked stepmother. Dre’s story is about the strength it takes to break a cycle, particularly regarding emotional abuse; but it’s also about the history that we can’t stop from repeating itself because it’s in our very genes (schedule those mammograms, ladies).

On the opposite side of the spectrum is Nieve (Chelsea Manasseri), who deals with a lifetime of leering, staring and jealousy by embracing her own wolfish side. She aims for as high as possible and enjoys looking down on her once-best-friends, because so many have looked down on her for so long, so why shouldn’t she do the same now? Manasseri is wonderful at being haughty, and also wonderful at humbling herself; when her friends really need her, Nieve starts to realize that being the “bad guy” isn’t the satisfying ending she thought it might be.

Jenny Larson-Quiñones (does she remind anyone else of Maya Rudolph? She’s so cute!) is outstanding as Bella, whose wedding day serves as a backdrop for a number of moments. Her face is so expressive, so elastic, and she gets some of the heaviest monologues; her last speech was passionate, intense, and raw. In between monologues, Bella nurtures a soft and yearning romantic relationship with Ruby (played by Larson-Quiñones’s real-life spouse and creative partner, khattieQ). Ruby is the quietest – and perhaps loneliest? – member of the group. The long-hoped-for culmination of their relationship functions not just to tell us “look what could have been”, but also, look what still can be, if we’re only ready for it.

GFT’s scenic and lighting work is always impressive, and this show was no different. Scenic designer Tor Reynolds and lighting designer Natalie George have created a candy colored princess castle – star-shaped lanterns hang from the ceiling, glowing colorful and warm in the dark. Set walls are painted in decorative scrolls of pinks and golds, or designed to look like stained glass windows; a perfect fairy tale setting for these not-so fairy tale lives.

I Wanna Be A F*cking Princess runs at Ground Floor Theatre until May 24, 2025. For tickets and more information, visit GFT online.

Or, to see more of Jenny Connell Davis’s work locally, check out Anton Chekhov is a Tasty Snack at Penfold Theatre in June. Now that I’ve seen one of her plays, I can’t wait for another.