Islander, winner of Best New Musical at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and an off-Broadway hit, comes to Olney Theatre Center for three weeks of performances, April 11 – 28, 2024, on the Roberts Mainstage. In the show, just two performers use live vocal loops and electronic mixing effects to create a musical landscape as rich and dramatic as the Scottish seascapes that serve as the story’s background.
Islander tells a modern myth straight out of Scottish folklore. Eilidh is the only child on Kinnan Island, where most of the dwindling population has moved to the “Big Land.” The government has proposed resetting the rest, and the town must vote soon on whether or not to accept the offer. But the day after a baby whale beaches itself, Eilidh discovers a young girl named Arran along the shore, who seems straight out of Scottish myth. As the two form a friendship, Islander takes audiences on a magical journey to transcend loss, recover hope, and find community.
Because of the demands on the role, performances are split among an ensemble of four actors. Lois Craig and Sylvie Stenson play the lonely but mischievous Eilidh, while Stephanie MacGaraidh and Julia Murray handle the role of the mysterious Arran. The two featured actors also portray the many colorful residents of Kinnan Island as they debate whether to abandon their dwindling isle. (Headshots and bios available at olneytheatre.org/islander.)
“Islander cast a powerful spell on me when I saw it in 2019 in Edinburgh,” says Olney Theatre Center’s Artistic Director, Jason Loewith. “Relying only on the vocal talents of two extraordinary performers, Islander uses technology to weave a magical, haunting story of resilience and sisterhood. It’s a story that transcends generations, and we think Eilidh, Arran, and the residents of Kinnan Island will thoroughly enchant everyone from our youngest to our oldest audience members.”
Islander was conceived and originally directed by Amy Draper and staged and associate-directed for the 23/24 international tour by Eve Nicol. The book is written by Stewart Melton, and music and lyrics are by Finn Anderson. After a celebrated and critically acclaimed run off-Broadway, the Islander creative team is joined by scenic designer Emma Bailey (Six, Broadway & West End), touring the US and UK with a new physical landscape. Lighting design is by Simon Wilkinson, costume design by Hahnji Jang and sound design by Sam Kusnetz.
PRODUCTION DETAILS
ISLANDER
Conceived and Originally Directed by AMY DRAPER
Staging and Associate Direction by EVE NICOL
Book by STEWART MELTON
Music & Lyrics by FINN ANDERSON
Scenic Design by EMMA BAILEY
Costume Design by HAHNJI JANG
Sound Design by SAM KUSNETZ
Lighting Design by SIMON WILKINSON
Music Direction & Loopstation Sound Design by FINN ANDERSON
US Associate Music Director DIANA LAWRENCE
Production Stage Manager JASMIN DAVIES
US Tour Production Manager DUNCAN BECKER
US Tour Production Consultant ANSHUMAN BHATIA
UK Assistant Director SHILPLA T-HYLAND
US Tour Associate Lighting Designer SCOTT MONNIN
US Tour Audio Engineer JACOB LEVITIN
Casting by KATHERINE SKENE
Key Art Design FEAST CREATIVE
US Tour General Management Doreen Sayegh & Annie Shea Graney for PEMBERLEY PRODUCTIONS
Martin Platt for PERRY STREET THEATRICALS
US Tour Booking PEMBERLEY PRODUCTIONS
UK Tour Booking & General Management HELEN MILNE PRODUCTIONS
Produced by:
Molly Morris
Helen Milne Productions
Martin Platt for Pemberley Perry/PW Productions
James L Simon
Theatre Royal Plymouth
Dundee Rep Theatre
Dates, Location, Tickets
April 11 – April 28, 2024
Roberts Mainstage
Olney Theatre Center
2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road
Olney, MD 20832
Tickets: $50 – $96 available at olneytheatre.org and 301-924-3400
Performance Schedule
Wednesdays through Saturdays evenings at 7:30 pm.
Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday matinees at 1:30 pm.
Special Curtain time on Saturday, April 14, at 8:00 pm for Invite-Only Opening
Accessible Performances
Audio-Described Performance – Wednesday, April 17 at 7:30 pm
ASL Interpreted Performance – Thursday, April 18 at 7:30 pm
About
Mission
Olney Theatre Center for the Arts produces and curates theatrical performance for the diverse audiences in our community, and educates, learns from, supports, and inspires a more inclusive generation of theater-makers.
Vision
We strive to become an arts and culture powerhouse, redefining the American regional theater movement by cultivating and sharing the creativity of our community.
History
Founded in 1938 as a summer playhouse, Olney Theatre Center now produces world and American premieres of plays and musicals and reimaginings of familiar titles year-round; presents the work of leading companies and artists; tours nationally and locally; teaches students of all ages; and mentors a more inclusive generation of theatremakers. For more than eight decades, Olney Theatre Center has brought impactful theater performance and education to our community, helping to grow the vibrancy and vitality of our home in the Washington, DC, region.
Over the years, some of the biggest names in theater and film have appeared on our stages, including Tallulah Bankhead, Helen Hayes, Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, Bob Fosse, Phillip Bosco, Eve Arden, Eva Gabor, Burl Ives, Jose Ferrer, Carol Channing, Olivia de Havilland, Tony Randall, Paulette Goddard, Dorothy and Lillian Gish, Jane Seymour, Anne Revere, Frances Sternhagen, Arthur Treacher, James Broderick, Olympia Dukakis, Sir Ian McKellen, Marica Gay Harden, John Colicos, Uzo Aduba, Alan Cumming, Cheyenne Jackson, Robin de Jesus, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, among many, many others.
Olney Theatre is now the cultural anchor of a rapidly changing region and serves one of the most diverse, best-educated, and wealthiest counties in the country. Situated on the unceded land of the Piscataway-Conoy people, the Olney area was once a rural farming community with a unique Quaker heritage. Now, the area is occupied by every kind of family that makes up 21st Century America, along with major corporations, shopping districts, civic associations, non-profit organizations, and a diverse collection of houses of worship. Montgomery County’s 1 million residents play a dynamic role in the Baltimore-Washington corridor and are a driving force behind the region’s creative economy.
Olney Theatre Center employs 40 full-time staff, 20 part-time positions, 26 early career apprentices and players, and more than 400 professional artists annually. The Theatre intends to continue expanding to better meet the needs of our community.
For more information, please visit olneytheatre.org/history
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