ONCE ON THIS ISLAND CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK / ACTORS THEATRE OF LOUISVILLE | Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty (books & lyrics); Robert Barry Fleming (director); Jason Ardizzone-West (set designer); Lex Liang (costume designer); Alan C Edwards (lighting designer); Daniel Perelstein (sound designer); Brooke Redler (stage manager); Veronica Bishop (production manager); DW Jones (technical director); Kenton Brett (scenic charge); Liz Lyons (props manager); Asada Austin, Christina Booker, Sharon Catherine Brown, Colin Carswell, Lauren Chanel, Rheaume Crenshaw, Ken Early, Bre Jackson, Alfie Dale Jones Jr., Morgan O Reynolds, Christina, Acosta Robinson, Kenneth Robinson, Allan K Washington, Alexis Louise Young (actors); Anna Driftmier, Anton Volovsek, Anna Grigo, Kelsey Garrett, Emma Antenen, Jack Dobens, Libby Stadstad (studio assistants).

PRESS

BROADWAY WORLD REVIEW
”Jason Ardizzone-West's set is virtually another character, filled with detail, texture, and surprises that develop as the show unfolds, and Lex Liang's costumes are just as interesting, a mix of references to character and history built from fashion and refuse - one regal headpiece is a repurposed front of an electric fan. And the storm effects are viscerally realized through Alan C. Edwards lights and Daniel Perelstein's sound...and more.”
-Broadway World 2020 (Keith Waits)
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WFPL REVIEW
“Scenic Designer Jason Ardizzone-West’s set is beautiful, with walls adorned with a mélange of symbols of Haitian folklore and quotes from Christian precepts like the Beatitudes that transport the audience members into a culture where both ideologies coexist and thrive. And some of the most exciting aspects of this production come from moments when the set transforms in unexpected ways, simultaneously creating a living, breathing island setting and giving massive payoff to the more fantastical elements of the story. Not enough can be said on how much of a technical achievement this set is.”
-WFPL 2020 (Ben Gierhart)
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“There’s a stunning undercurrent to the production, that even though these storytellers captivate each other, it is never lost that they are also people who are desperate to survive a storm, who don’t know if their homes will still be standing, and who are stuck in the shelter until the skies clear. And this can only be attributed to the talented direction of Robert Barry Fleming, Actors Theatre’s new executive artistic director. Good theater transports an audience into another place or time, and this production transports the audience to where people are at their most vulnerable, where strangers of all walks of life gather to survive. It transports them to a world of legend with bird sounds and gods and trees in which to hide. It is absolutely magical.”
-WFPL 2020 (Laura Morton)
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LOUISVILLE ECCENTRIC OBSERVER REVIEW
“Through the scenic design of Jason Ardizzone-West, the Pamela Brown Auditorium was transformed into a storm shelter, with beds covered in Red Cross sheets, a couple standing fans and coolers spread across the stage. They used one of my favorite recent theater trends, bringing the cast out gradually before the start of the show, allowing them to interact naturally with the set: reading magazines, doing pushups, playing with dolls and so on. Even the pre-show announcement played into the scene, referring to the theater as a shelter and telling the audience to turn off their phone for safety reasons due to the storm. And it’s not just a way of immersing the audience. The set shines a light on the devastating effect of hurricanes in the French Antilles and throughout much of the world…”

“The effects toward the end are also visually stunning, with a downpour of rain actually falling onto the stage and the center stage flooding with water as Ti Moune walks through. Props have to be given to production stage manager Stephen Horton and his team along with Ardizzone-West’s scenic design for pulling this off so seamlessly.”
-Louisville Eccentric Observer 2020 (Alex Roma)
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BROADWAY WORLD REVIEW
”Once On This Island at Cincinnati Playhouse In The Park is ‘Godlike’… The entire company delivers breathtaking performances across the board, but if you find yourself taking a trip to the island, make sure to take note of all the magic the gods are working throughout the show, both in and out of the spotlight”
-Broadway World 2019 (Anne Simendinger)
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