Thank you so much for attending this performance of Once on This Island. This musical, more than any other I have directed has truly encapsulated so much of what I love about theatre as an art form. It was a true joy to produce and all of us who worked to bring it to you hope that our passion for this show provokes rich responses in you.
Once on This Island is a show that it fully embraces the craft of story-telling. We are constantly reminded that this is a fantastical story with ribbons of truth running through it. By embracing the imaginary elements of the show we are able to stretch our creative choices beyond realism. This allows you as the audience to experience something so much grander than day-to-day existence. Our goal is to embrace the theatricality of this show and explore the sense of experiences, not just what they are in reality.
The story is narrated to a child which enables us to really play and reignite your child-like imagination. Sometimes, it feels even more real or truthful through fantasy. Through the beauty and fun of this fantastical world is of course a real one.
Often it is easier to begin to digest some of the real world through fiction. Once on This Island is set in Haiti, an island with an overwhelmingly complex history. In the 18th century, the island had a successful slave rebellion. After many years of war, African slaves won their freedom against their mostly French oppressors. Despite winning their freedom the island has never gained real peace or stability. Social, political, and economic conflicts have been hallmarks of the island's identity. The volatile climate often complicates matters further for the inhabitants. Ironically the island provides the antithesis for peace and freedom from oppression. Despite having (on a surface-level) all the potential makings of a land that might overcome racism, it is all the more heart-breaking for the endless cycles of hatred that have plagued it's history. I believe this setting was chosen and yet not named because in many ways it is a place that we've all experienced in one way or another without ever setting foot there. Thankfully the story also proclaims hope for a better tomorrow.
In my mind, theatre has a tremendous capacity to breed empathy. Theatre, as Shakespeare said, holds "the mirror up to nature." It is through fiction that we can sometimes more acutely grab hold of what we know to be the truth about our own lives and the society in which we live. Throughout the rehearsal process, the students were challenged to develop complex characters and find connections to their own world. This process challenged their thinking, helped them discover themselves, and built empathy for one another. Our hope is that it does the same for you, our audience.
One of the biggest challenges and motivations for me in selecting this show was to more accurately reflect the world within our walls at Eaglecrest. Without diversity, how can we reflect our world and it's varied experiences, stories, and perspectives? We are proud at Eaglecrest to have a demographic make-up that is nearly identical to that of the country at large, and yet the theatre has not represented this. It is only through inclusivity that we can truly investigate our collective experience as a united people. We took a risk as a department and recruited from many corners of our school seeking out the talent that we knew was here. I couldn't be happier with the outcome. I sincerely hope this is our first step in a long journey towards a more rich theatre experience for everyone involved in Eaglecrest theatre. I especially hope that it inspires future young performers and helps our current group to see that there is an incalculable value to expressing our experiences together on the stage.
Thankfully because of the enthusiastic support of our students and staff, I was able to make some bold choices in the staging and casting of this show. I chose to have our cast depict a racially integrated time. Our storytellers narrate about a time of deep-rooted division. The child imagines the divisions of the past as they are described to her. She uses the faces of those she knows to grasp this divided world and our storytellers become characters in the play. The story is told to demonstrate the careful steps needed to engage in a better future. At the conclusion of the story, these same storytellers pass on this oral tradition with respect and reverence. We see a brighter future that respects the lessons of the past and is actively engaged in it's progress. It is important to note that with each generation of this story, progress comes slowly and while racism doesn't end, there is genuine hope for the youngest among us if we consistently engage in fighting the powers of hate.
Thank you again for attending this performance and we hope you enjoy the show!
