Once on this Island

Participating in "Once in this Island" will be one of the memories most important to me as I look back on my high school career. Throughout countless music, blocking, and dance rehearsals, I gradually fell in love with the show and everyone in my cast acting beside me. I have friends who have participated in "Once on this Island" and when asked about it, all they say is how much they loved being in it. Before we started the process of putting the show together, I couldn't understand them to the full extent that I do now. I will miss working being a part of this show, but I know that through all of our hard work to present it, I am a better performer.

One of my favorite elements from the show was the outstanding music. Every year I become more amazed with the performance of the Pit, and every year they’re hard work clearly pays off. In addition, the majority of comments that I receive from audience members is how much they have loved the live music and thought how well they all performed.

About two days before we were scheduled to perform, it seemed like the majority of the cast was hit with a virus. That being said, not one person lacked in energy in rehearsal or the performances. We were all supportive of each other, whether we were sharing honey for thousands of cups of tea, or volunteering to be a swing, like wiebke did for the ballroom dancing scene.  

In addition to supporting one another, we were able to adapt in unpredictable situations. When we were in the middle of a performance and waited for a lightning sound cue to move to our next positions, we stayed calm and held our poses. As actors, this was extremely well done. We hadn’t had to practice adapting to mistakes in rehearsals, so I feel as though we really did a great job.  

Next, our scenery was beautifully done. The hand-painted background was so beautiful. I loved how the visuals depicted of the difference between the two classes by having both types of homes, and had many colorful types of wildlife. In addition, this scenery caused most of the viewers attention to fall on the performers,, and it did not distract from any of the performance. Overall, it was very well executed.

Again, I will miss being a part of “Once on this Island”. It was a phenomenal experience and I am so grateful that I got to be a part of it. Like I said before, it made me be a better actor, singer, and dancer.