ONCE ON THIS ISLAND | THE STUDIO THEATRE

Set two days after Hurricane Katrina, this Once on This Island unfolds inside a ruined French Quarter hotel where displaced survivors use the remnants around them to tell the story of Ti Moune. The production moves between two worlds: the harsh reality of post-Katrina Louisiana and the vibrant, fantastical world of Ti Moune, with the two remaining separate until they ultimately converge. Four children become vessels for the Gods, who move throughout the space and command the story while the survivors remain onstage as storytellers, transforming discarded objects and debris into an entire world. Drawing from Haitian Vodou, Louisiana spiritual traditions, and the history of the Gulf Coast, the production explores displacement, survival, identity, and the ways communities find strength in one another. Ultimately, this is a story about finding beauty and connection amid destruction, reminding us that even when everything is lost, we still have each other and the stories we carry.