Students Take the Stage in Once on This Island

With three performances in February, Penn Charter Upper School students brought "Once on This Island" to life with vibrant music and dance, powerful storytelling and a stage transformed into a Caribbean island. The musical celebrated love, resilience and the power of community. Set against the backdrop of a divided island, "Once on This Island" weaves together folklore, music and dance to tell the story of Ti Moune, a young girl guided by the gods as she navigates love and sacrifice.

The production challenged students to explore complex cultural themes, which they embraced fully. For director Eva Kay Noone, the production was a standout experience. “From the amazing cast, who brought life to the music and dance, to the production crew who created a Caribbean island for them to inhabit, this was a dream production,” she said. “The challenging story did not dissuade our students, and they leaned in to understand the nuances of this show.”

For many cast members, the production's strength came from the connections they formed along the way. Junior Chelsea Gadsden reflected on the sense of belonging within the group. “Every person was included and had a friend, and that made putting on such a difficult production fun,” she said. “I always felt supported and celebrated, which translated so well to chemistry and trust on stage.”

“The show’s cast is like a team where everyone needs to play their part,” freshman Luke Wakefield said, “and seeing this show come together really helped me realize that.”

“This musical helped me grow in so many ways,” junior AJ Bouie added. “I learned to work with different personalities and became good friends with people I might not have met otherwise. It was great being a teammate in an activity other than sports.”

Students also found themselves pushed artistically in new ways. Sophomore Norhi Goodman, who played he lead character, Ti Moune, described how the role helped her grow. “Being Ti Moune really pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to be more expressive than I usually am,” she said, crediting the guidance of Noone and the choreographer for helping her bring emotion and depth to the character.