Once on This Island, Jr.' Encore Planned

The Fairmont State University Town and Gown Youth Company will give an encore presentation of "Once on This Island, Jr." at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27, and Thursday, Aug. 28, in Wallman Hall Theatre.

For ticket information, contact the Box Office at (304) 367-4240. The show runs about 60 minutes. The Youth Company actors are ages 7 to 18. "Once on This Island, Jr." was part of the Town and Gown summer season at Prickett's Fort.

Part of the Broadway Junior Collection, the play's book and lyrics are by Lynn Ahrens; music is by Stephen Flaherty. Based upon the novel "My Love, My Love" by Rosa Guy, it was originally directed and choreographed on Broadway by Gracielka Daniele, Music Theatre International.

Cast members include the following: Amy Frosch (Little Girl); Madison Moyer (Storyteller 1); Tyler Kovar (Tonton Julian and Storyteller 2); Shannon Yost (Storyteller 3); Gatsby Rider (Storyteller 4); Isabella Angeline Diserio (Little Ti Moune); Brie Graziani (Mama Erualie); Jenny Bundy (Ti Moune); Logan Demyon (Daniel Beauxhomme); Christopher Yost (Daniel's son); Daniel Jackson McNeil (gatekeeper); Simone Cameon (Andrea); Clayton Dunn (Papa Ge); Kelsey Corder (Asaka); Brady Dunn (Agwe); and Nora Perone (Erzulie); among numerous others.

In the opening, the peasants describe their world. Their lives are ruled by powerful gods and their island is ruled by the wealthy "grand hommes." They explain that the peasants and the grand hommes comprise two different worlds, never meant to meet.

In "One Small Life," the peasants begin the tale of Ti Moune who fell in love with a grand homme after being "chosen by the gods for a magical fate." They describe how she was saved from a flood by the gods when she was a child and raised by loving adoptive parents. She grows up during the number.

Working in the fields, Ti Moune sees a grand homme and decides that one day he will take her off to a new, brighter life. And the gods bring her a chance at a new life. A night of rain, brought by the Water God, Agwe, causes Daniel (the grand homme) to crash and allows Ti Moune to find him. She nurses him back to health and, restored, Daniel and Ti Moune go to a ball at the Hotel Beauxhommes. There, Ti Moune's dancing beguiles the guests, and Andrea asks Ti Moune to dance at her wedding--to Daniel. The two have been promised to one another since childhood.

Papa Ge gives Ti Moune a choice: kill Daniel (for which he has provided a knife) and resume her previous life or face death herself, desolate after the betrayal by Daniel. Thrown out of the hotel, Ti Moune collapses on the earth where she will soon be buried.

The gods cry and their tears of compassion resurrect Ti Moune from the earth as a beautiful tree, sheltering peasants and grand hommes alike. The play closes with the storytellers again around the fire, beginning to tell their tale to the small girl who has joined them.