It’s that time of year! May 1st – May 10th, West Potomac’s theatre department ‘Beyond the Page’ is presenting Once on This Island by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flahtery. Lynn Ahrens is an American writer and lyricist who has worked with Stephen Flahtery for years. They are best known for writing the Broadway musical Ragtime which was nominated for thirteen Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards, and won the Tony for Best Original Score; Once on This Island. Once on This Island is about venturing into the depths of the Caribbean, where the power of love and storytelling follows a fearless heroine who defies destiny and unites two very different worlds torn apart. The show has aspects of folklore and mythology. 

The show is a double cast which means there is cast A and cast B.  There are two actors per character and will be going on for different shows. The female leads are played by Lee Assefa, freshman, and Eva McGee, junior. The male leads are played by Adam Pedigo, senior, and Shane Sayles, a freshman.  Each cast has four nights to perform, rotating each night. The costumes are also a big part of the show, some costumes being bland or pasty while others being happy and colorful to show contrast in the show. 

“I’m really excited for this show to come together,” Adrian Castellon, sophomore, who plays Agwe, said. “The set will be my favorite part of the show because we are going to have a very live stage with a lot of movement like things falling and moving,” he says.

Once on This Island has 18 songs being presented during the show and each song flows into one another. The set corresponds with the songs creating a dynamic stage full of action and color. Once on This Island has a 90 minute approximate run time with an intermission halfway through. 

Ticket Prices are $10 for students and $15 for adults. Tickets can be purchased online at westpotomactheatre.org and at the door.