RCPstage.ludus.com<\/a>. Flex passes for the 2026 season are also available with big savings.<\/p>\n\u201cOnce on This Island Jr.\u201d is an accessible, one\u2011act adaptation of the Tony\u2011nominated Broadway musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. Set on an unnamed island in the French Antilles, the story is framed as a tale told around a fire by island storytellers and follows Ti Moune as she rescues and falls in love with Daniel, a boy from the island\u2019s wealthier side. The plot explores themes of love, class, faith, and the power of storytelling, and asks whether love can truly conquer death.<\/p>\n
![\"Kasey](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782037391_93_Kasey.jpg\")
Kasey O\u2019Mara as Papa Ge, the Sly Demon of Death, and Brian Hood as Agwe, the God of Water, guide Ti Moune through her adventure in \u201cOnce on This Island Jr.\u201d (Courtesy of Reading Community Players)<\/p>\n
The JR. edition keeps the show\u2019s Caribbean rhythms, colorful storytelling, and ensemble movement, while streamlining some numbers for a shorter performance ideal for school casts. Creative movement and choreography play a central role: performers portraying elements of the island \u2014 trees, animals, storms \u2014and the four gods (Asaka, Agwe, Erzulie, and Papa Ge) guiding Ti Moune\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n
Director Debbi Silas had directed this show once before.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 2019, my son and I were directing a production that never got performed due to COVID,\u201d Silas said. \u201cI needed to bring this story to life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silas spoke about the special script.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a story of a simpler time,\u201d she said. \u201cA story of magic, choices, commitment, community, sacrifices and love. It shares a message that love and understanding can change the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silas also is complementary about the performers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis cast has brought vitality and energy to this heart-warming fable,\u201d she said. \u201cWe hope you lose yourself as the mysteries and miracles befall us through the years.\u201d<\/p>\n
The production features youth and adult performers from the Reading area, offering opportunities for emerging talent to perform principal and ensemble roles. Minimal but colorful sets and costumes emphasize imagination and movement, allowing the story and performers to remain the focus.<\/p>\n
Culture<\/p>\n
The Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center will host the second annual Pennsylvania German Day on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kutztown University.<\/p>\n
Pennsylvania German Day will showcase a sampler of Pennsylvania German music, humor and language that will honor the Pennsylvania legislature\u2019s declaration 50 years ago for the observance of Pennsylvania German Day in 1976.<\/p>\n
Pennsylvania German Day will take place in the picturesque barnyard of the historic Sharadin Barn built and decorated in 1855 at the historic Sharadin Farmstead, 22 Luckenbill Road, Maxatawny Township.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782037391_279_PAgermanday2026.jpg\")
The Shooflies will perform Pennsylvania German music during Pennsylvania German Day at Kutztown University. (Courtesy of Kutztown University)<\/p>\n
The program will open at 10:30 a.m. with a performance by the internationally recognized Pennsylvania German music sensation, the Shooflies, an up-and-coming family band promoting the preservation and enjoyment of Pennsylvania Dutch music, language and culture. At 11:15 a.m. the Shooflies will perform a Pennsylvania Dutch-language sing-along with leading Pennsylvania Dutch language online educator and musician, Doug Madenford.<\/p>\n
At 1 p.m., a hilarious program of Pennsylvania Dutch-language jokes and translations will be offered by community language teachers David and Jean Adam. At 1:45 p.m., the program will continue with a performance of music and comedy by Madenford.<\/p>\n
Throughout the program, readings in Pennsylvania Dutch, including stories and poetry, will be presented as part of the continuation of Schreiwer Fescht, a writer\u2019s celebration originally founded as part of the Kutztown Folk Festival. Closing remarks will include \u201cFerwas mir kumme zamme\u201d (why we come together) as a tribute to the Pennsylvania House Bill No. 2294, Session 1976, PA Legislative Act 113, providing for the observance of Pennsylvania German Day, approved June 29, 1976.<\/p>\n
The event is free, fun and educational for the whole family. Food concessions will be served by the Kutztown Lion\u2019s Club.<\/p>\n
For more information, follow PGCHC on Facebook and Instagram, visit the Heritage Center website, https:\/\/www.pagerman.org\/pa-german-day-2026<\/a>, or call 610-683-1589.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Reading Symphony Orchestra and the Yocum Institute for Arts Education are partnering for a county-wide creative collaboration…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15485,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[349,1681,182,1213,858,28,128,130,129,289,1015],"class_list":["post-224307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reading","tag-berks-county","tag-entertainment","tag-local-news","tag-music-and-concerts","tag-ontap","tag-pennsylvania","tag-reading-city","tag-reading-city-headlines","tag-reading-city-news","tag-things-to-do","tag-top-stories-mer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=224307"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224307\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=224307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=224307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=224307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}