Kennedy Lucas ’23 to star in production at Stages Theatre Company

The Breck community is proud to congratulate Kennedy Lucas ’23 for her participation in Once on this Island, Jr. at the Stages Theatre Company! We caught up with Lucas below about the show, her love of theater, and how Breck has helped her succeed on and off the stage. 

Congratulations on being cast in Once on this Island, Jr.! What is the show about?  
Thank you! It’s a story that revolves around storytellers. The beginning of the show starts with this little girl. There’s a storm so, of course, she’s crying. She’s nervous. So everyone in the village decides they’re going to tell a story. It’s just an adventure basically to see whether death is more powerful than love or if love is more powerful than death. The main character goes on this journey to figure it out. 

What does it mean to you that you’ve been cast in this show?
This is actually my sixth show at Stages. I’ve done a lot! My first show was when I was 11, so I’ve been doing it for about six years. This will be my last show since I will soon turn 18, age out of the theater, and go to college. So it definitely means a lot to me to be able to end on a really fun note and spend time with my friends and the amazing, talented cast. I’m very grateful to be able to end my professional theater career in this way.

How can the Breck community support you in your final show at Stages? 
Once on this Island runs from March 3–19, and you can purchase tickets here. There are shows at night and shows during the day, and just coming to any of the shows would mean a lot to me. We’re putting a lot of time and effort into making sure the show is something beautiful that everyone can take something from. I know everyone has a busy schedule, so it would really mean a lot to me if the Breck community made some room in their schedules to support Stages Theatre and the performing arts, especially after COVID. 

In what ways has Breck helped nurture and support your love of theater and performing arts? 
I did my first Breck production when I was in fifth grade: Bugsy Malone, Jr. So that was a long time ago! To be able to have access to so many great mentors at Breck has been really essential to me. Doing theater outside of school is a great experience to get into the professional world. But when I’m not doing that, I still need people who are willing to help nurture my craft, teach me how to practice, and teach me technique. 

Breck theater has also been just a really fun experience because it holds itself to a very high standard. The kids do everything from the lighting design to the performing. And from what I’ve noticed, there’s not a huge difference between the level that Breck theater holds itself to and the professional level. Breck theater is a very welcoming, open place, and everyone’s really excited to perform. For me, it’s been very lovely training and nurturing my craft here.

For more information about Once on this Island, Jr. and Stages Theatre, click here.