Review: TREASURE ISLAND at Open Stage

The beloved adventure novel Treasure Island was written in the 1880s by Robert Louis Stevenson. A story filled with pirates and treasure hunts, Treasure Island captures the imaginations of youth and adults alike. Audiences can enjoy the 2014 adaptation of Treasure Island by Bryony Lavery directed by Stuart Landon at Open Stage now through October 29th.

This adaptation lends a fresh perspective to the classic story, following the adventures of Jim Hawkins, an innkeeper's granddaughter. The inn is visited by Bill Bones (Christopher Robert Ellis), an intense and secretive man with a mysterious sea chest, who seeks to rid himself of guilt and fear by drinking too much. At the inn, we meet several townsfolk-Jim (Gabrielle Dina) and Grandma Hawkins (Cynthia Charles), Doctor Livesey (Rachel Landon), Squire Trelawney (David Richwine), Red Ruth (Liz Curtis), Job Anderson (Brad Barkdoll), Lucky Micky (Brian Schreffler), and Silent Sue (Kelli Kauterman). Dina and Charles have wonderful rapport on stage, inviting the audience to feel as though they are being welcomed to the inn. Charles delivers her lines with a dry wit that lends a comedic element to the scene, while Dina's mischievous smile and twinkling eyes draw the audience into her adventures. Dina is a wonderful actor who keeps the story moving and interacts with the other characters in an authentic way. Landon and Richwine both infuse their characters with a pompousness that separates them from the other townsfolk, but as the story progresses, the audience gets to see both of these characters display moments of vulnerability that serve to humanize them and turn them into sympathetic figures. Curtis, Schreffler, and Kauterman play up the quirky aspects of their characters, and it is delightful to watch the camaraderie between them. Barkdoll, who takes on the role of Job Anderson and the Shanty Man, uses his skills as a musician to lead the cast in song, which adds fun and emotional elements to the storyline.

With the appearance of Bill Bones at the inn, more mysterious and dangerous characters appear-Black Dog (Joellen Terranova) and Blind Pew (Nicholas Hughes). Terranova and Hughes play their roles with a sinister air that heightens the tension in the first act, as we learn that Bones has been hiding something from them-a treasure map. When Jim, Grandma, Dr. Livesey, and Squire Trelawney find the map, they concoct a plan to purchase a boat, hire a crew, and find the treasure. These actions bring them into contact with Captain Smollett (Chris Gibson), Grey (Daniel Baxter), and (unbeknownst to them) the former crew of The Walrus: George Badger (Michael James Kacey), Killigrew the Kind (Chris Ondeck), Dick the Dandy (Christopher Robert Ellis), Israel Hands (Tyler Shadle), Joan the Goat (Jasmine Graham), Black Dog (Joellen Terranova), Captain Flint (Keel Warner), and Long John Silver (Sean Adams).

Gibson's stage presence makes him the perfect fit for the larger-than-life, blustering, and rather authoritarian Captain Smollett. The crew is comprised of characters just as quirky as the townsfolk, and Kacey, Ondeck, Ellis, Shadle, Terranova, and Graham play these roles with tremendous energy and commitment-they each give their character an edginess that creates a sense of the entire crew being a little off-kilter. Three of my favorite performances in the show are given by Bixler as Grey, Warner as Captain Flint the Parrot, and Sean Adams as Long John Silver. Grey is an immensely sympathetic role whose seeming invisibility to those around him ends up being what saves the good guys in the end. Bixler plays his role with a sense of resignation to the fact that no one ever notices him-his performance tugs on the audience's hearts. Warner's work with the parrot puppet is well-executed. The audience easily forgets that there is an actual person operating the parrot. Adams portrays Long John Silver as a master of manipulation-he is a chameleon, easily tricking Squire Trelawney into hiring his old crew from The Walrus and leading Jim to believe the he was her friend while scheming to find the treasure and keep it for himself. Another stand-out performance comes from Josh Miccio, who plays Ben Gunn, a man who had been on The Walrus but was left on the island to die. Miccio's body language and facial expressions are carefully crafted to emphasize the toll that being stranded on the island has taken on Gunn. It is a physically demanding role that Miccio handles beautifully.

The staging, set design, and lighting work together to create pure theatre magic as the scenery changes from the inn to the ship to the island and so forth without the audience even realizing it. While some parts of the show seemed a little long, the energy and talents of the cast keep the audience engaged as they join in this swashbuckling adventure.

Tales of treasure, pirates, and the sea never fail thrill and inspire. Join the cast and crew at Open Stage for this fresh take on Treasure Island now through October 29th. Visit https://www.openstagehbg.com/show/treasure for information on the show and tickets.

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