http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20120815/ISLAND04/708159993
While Steve is busy at work repairing props and finishing up the set, oh, and rehearsals at night, I wanted to share the directors notes he submitted for the program. I thought they beautifully illustrate the vision he has for the show. Enjoy!
DIRECTORS NOTES - ONCE ON THIS ISLAND AUGUST 2012
“On that island where
rivers run deep, where the sea sparkling in the sun earns it the name “Jewel of
the Antilles”, the tops of the mountains are bare… the peasants live amid
flamboyants, poinsettias, azaleas, ficus, eucalyptus, and magnolias -their
colors raging over the countryside and blending roads into hills, hills into
forests. Multicolored flora defy the destructiveness of man and climate to
spring eternally back to life. This miracle the peasants attribute to the gods.”
My Love, My Love by Rosa Guy
So begins the novel from which Once On This Island was adapted.
The brilliance of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s jambalaya of
storytelling and music is what keeps me forever in love with this beloved
musical. Once On This Island is a director/designer’s fantasy. The opportunity to breathe life into these
characters and assist in the creation of the world in which they live and dream
abundantly satisfies my artistic soul.
For generations stories have been passed down to teach
valuable lessons about life, love, pain and hope. Few do this better than the simple tale of Ti
Moune, the peasant girl, who’s unrequited love takes her on a journey through all
of these life experiences and more, ultimately providing hope not only to the
progeny of the characters in the story, but to all those who take the journey
with her.
Unlike many musicals, this is a simple, straightforward
story. I have envisioned a close knit
community, not unlike the friends and family we all share, attending to the
tears of a small child frightened by a devastating storm. Uncertain of their
own fates, they bond together and seek the solace of the time honored tradition
of stories passed from generation to generation.
Using resources at hand, improvised costume couture and
masks separate the gods from the peasants and the peasants from the beauxhommes
as they themselves become the characters of the story. Pieces of bamboo are
lashed together to become a car, fabric is fashioned into rain and staffs are
devised for the ever fickle gods. All the characters join together in song and
dance as they share Ti Moune’s journey in an attempt to not only calm her fears,
but to help each other weather the storm. While the storm onstage is literal,
can we not all see within this story the challenges and obstacles we face in
our own lives? Do we have the courage to follow our hearts against all odds and
at any cost?
It is my sincere hope that as you join us over the next 90
minutes, you will consider the tales that have woven the threads of your life
and in turn, seek to inspire future generations and loved ones with your own journeys
towards faith, love and hope.
“For out of what we live
And we believe
Our lives become
The stories that we weave.”
Steve Huntsman
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