Anchors Away for "Treasure Island"
A ripping good yarn recently set sail with the staging of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure tale Treasure Island. Upon entering Davis Theatre, the audience was quickly hauled aboard for a swashbuckling, treasure-hunting, and sword-clanging experience.
Originally produced at the National Theatre in London for its 2014 season, the adaptation by playwright Bryony Lavery re-imagined the tale with the characters of Jim Hawkins, Dr. Livesey, and at least two of the pirates played by women. "That shift in perspective was one of the things that first drew me to this adaptation," says Principia College Theatre Professor and Production Director John O'Hagan. "The story loses none of its swashbuckling allure and yet really acknowledges that, as one reviewer put it, ‘. . . bravery and daring are not a male prerogative.’”
The cast and crew of more than 20 students from a range of majors were involved in all aspects of the production. The design and tech staff led by Alex Hauf-Belden, Leah McFall (US’89, C’93), Megan Lovegren, and Tom Halsey (C’85) supported the stage crew to create a ship-shaped set with the audience along the sides, bringing attendees close to the action. The play featured original sea shanties composed by cast members with music professor Dr. April Mok. Junior Tyler Wingert and senior Nick Lynch co-wrote and performed live drumming throughout the show and intermission. Visiting professional Justin Blackburn composed, recorded, and engineered the rest of the music. Early in the semester, professional actor and fight director Samantha Kaufman led intensive stage combat workshops with cast members to hone their skills and choreograph fight scenes for the production.
The play was such a success that two actors received independent recognition for their performances. Senior Hannah May LePoidevin, who played Jim Hawkins, and junior Riley Capp, who played Long John Silver, were nominated for the Irene Ryan Scholarship audition at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region III in January.
Enjoy this short video preview, which takes you aboard the ship during scenes from Treasure Island.