Pickwick Players

August 9 - 25, 2019

Starting with the 2019 season, Pickwick Players changed their venue from Off-Broadway Live (a cabaret theatre space) to the multipurpose room of Carlton Oaks Elementary School. The challenge of directing an action-packed drama like Treasure Island in a non-traditional space was exciting.

In concert with our set designer, Dennis Floyd, we solved the issue by reconfiguring the space into a thrust stage, with the audience surrounding the playing space. Using platforms, sheets, and a central post, we turned the whole of the playable area into the SS Hispaniola and, through added greenery, the island itself.

Expanding the space into a thrust gave us opportunities to put actors right into the audience - the entrance of Blind Pew, for instance, was directly through house right - his cane tapping on patrons chairs, surprising and scaring them.

Art Work.

I first read Treasure Island at 9 years old - it was a beautiful copy that I borrowed from the library that included the artwork of N.C. Weyth to help tell the story. Weyth’s brilliant paintings enhanced the story and made an indelible impression on my young imagination. When given the opportunity to bring Treasure Island to life on stage, I went back to Weyth’s work as inspiration for the set, costumes, and lighting designs. I also used specific images as the basis of the stage picture - trying to capture the terror and excitement of a young boy reading the story for the first time.

Music and Sound.

As part of the overall design of the production, weaving in music and an immersive sound design was important. We utilized classical music (William Tell Overture, Pirates of Penzance, Mozart’s Piano Concert No. 20 in D minor, K. 466), classical-style covers of modern pop pieces (The Rolling Stones Paint It Black covered by Ramin Djawdi), as well as music pulled directly from pirate and nautical films (the main title from Windjammer, the main theme from Master and Commander: Far Side of the World) and video games (Assassin’s Creed). In addition to music, Zephyr Landie, our sound designer, created a sound-scape for the ship (waves lapping, bosun calls, etc.) and the island (jungle sounds, animal calls, etc.). The overall sound design created an immersive experience for the audience and to pull them further in to the story.

Battles.

Ken Ludwig’s version of Treasure Island starts off with a bang - the murder of the evil pirate, Captain Flint, by one of his crew. The action and pace never slacken throughout the show - with saber fights, gun battles, and fisticuffs each called for in turn. Working with the creative team, fight choreographer George Ye, and an eager cast, we were able to create exciting (and safe) fights that surprised and engaged the audience. Our goal was to make the palpable danger from the novel come alive on the stage.