Once on This Island explores themes of race, class, and belonging
This summer, The Ruth Theater invites audiences to experience the sweeping, soulful musical Once on This Island, a powerful tale of love, division, and the stories that bind us together.
A vibrant, Caribbean, retelling of The Little Mermaid, the musical follows Ti Moune, a peasant girl who risks everything for love as she’s guided by the powerful island gods. With score, book and lyrics written by duo Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime, Seussical, Anastasia), this piece is a tribute to the human need for connection in a world shaped by difference.
Once on This Island explores themes of race, class, and belonging. At its heart, this production is a call to listen—to stories, to one another, and to the spaces where worlds meet.
“Stories help us connect to a world beyond the self,” said director, Lisa Hall. “Stories are the balm, the medicine, and the way forward.”
Hall’s vision for this production centers on The Ruth’s unique brand of immersive storytelling. The audience is surrounded by the elements of the island itself—live water, real sand, and an environment that transforms the stage into a living, breathing world.
“My concept for this production was to immerse and delight the audience through sensory experience and surprise,” she explains. “Elements like sand, water, breeze, and fire align with the story’s gods… forming a harmonious whole.”
With a dynamic cast of BIPOC performers, Once on This Island offers an unforgettable theatrical experience shaped by the rhythms, movement, and spirit of the Caribbean. Each performance celebrates the cultural roots of the story and reminds us that ‘our lives become the stories that we weave.’
Once on This Island is presented with thanks to our season presenting sponsor, Utah Community Credit Union.
Performance Schedule:
- Dates: May 4 - July 3
- Time: Nightly at 7:30pm with select matinees at 12:30pm & 4pm on Saturdays
Reviewers interested in attending should reach out to Sydney Dameron (sydney.dameron@haletheater.org) to arrange seating.
Photo Credit: Lauri Baird
VIDEO TEASER
(feat. Brittany Andam as Asaka, Yahosh Bonner as Agwe, Anya Slumoni as Erzulie & Beatriz Melo as Papa Ge)
Video Credit: Josh Beck
PRODUCTION TEAM:
- Director: Lisa Hall
- Choreographer: Izzy Arrieta
- Music Director: Alec Powell
- Scenic Design: Carter Thompson
- Costume Design: Candice Nielsen
- Lighting Design: Michael Gray
- Sound Design: Tim Riggs
- Hair & Makeup Design: Bekah Wilbur
- Prop Design: Megan Heaps
- Dialect Coach: Myah Bridgewater
- Inclusion Consultant: Shelby Noelle Gist
- Production Stage Manager: Anna Birch