BWW Reviews: Flying V's THE PIRATE LAUREATE Sails Again in Truly Hilarious Form

"Quite the sequel," quips one of the characters in The Pirate Laureate and the King of the Sea, Flying V's latest romp, which is now entertaining audiences of all ages at the Writer's Center in Bethesda.

This is quite the sequel, indeed. Flying V, a young company that has earned a devoted following with their whimsical originality, returns triumphantly with another episode in their Pirate Laureate series. Our story is set once again in the fictional realm of Ephrata, where poetry kicks tail, the pen is mightier than the sword and the hottest duels feature poets at ten paces, scribbling furiously or improvising on the spot.

This being Flying V's (ahem) flagship production concept, I am pleased to report that playwright Zachary Fernebok's comic chops are in fine shape, with jokes flying faster and furiouser [sic] than ever before-and that'ssaying something, folks! The similes and metaphors fly fast as bullets, to hilarious effect; it helps, too, that director Jason Schlafstein has assembled a versatile cast of comedians that can leave audiences begging for mercy.

Assuming the helm of the good ship Chartreuse once again is Matthew Pauli as the absent-minded Captain Grayscale, whose primacy is challenged this time by Ray del Mar-played by Carlos Saldana, whose thickly-accented arch-villain gives Antonio Banderas' Puss in Boots a run for his money.

Ray is a double-threat: a captain who is also a crack poet. And his secret weapon is a treasure trove of classic poetry, found buried on a curious island that we visit as part of our journey. Grayscale's poet laureate Finn-the earnest Matthew McGee-proves no match for Ray del Mar, and not only does Finn lose his linguistic primacy the ship is also besieged by Ray's ally, a giant squid. In the scuffle that follows, Greyscale is sucked overboard and presumably drowned.

Our evil squid, appropriately named Kalamara, is played with relish (the passion, not the condiment) by Natalie Cutcher. Cutcher's performance is enhanced by props designer Andrea "Dre" Moore, who has created colorful tentacles wielded with perfect comic timing, Bun-Raku style, by a pair of masked assistants.

Ray (whose name means, of course, "King of the Sea") imprisons the crew of the Chartreuse and cripples Finn's writing ability - the chief symptom being that he is incapable of metaphor; his revenge is to annoy Ray to no end with his literal translations of every Spanish word that comes out of his mouth. To make matters worse Ray takes a liking to Sandy, Finn's girlfriend (the appealing but wiley Kaylynn Creighton), who has been serving the eternally thankless task of-you guessed it-the Chartreuse's intern. Truth be known, Finn hasn't really appreciated Sandy enough lately, so their romance hangs in the balance along with everything else.

Meanwhile on an island nearby (about 15 minutes away--that's how long the set change takes), we discover Grayscale has been brought ashore alive, and while evil squid Kalamara eagerly awaits her next meal our hero discovers another castaway on the island-his arch nemesis Captain LeRief (you can see where this is going, can't you? Eugene O'Neill it ain't). Played with impeccable comic timing and hilariously exaggerated accents is Bradley Foster Smith, who has become something of a fixture on the DC comic stage. Smith is a brilliant shape-shifter and the fact that he doubles as Ruby, the dim-witted lookout on the Chartreuse, only heightens the hilarity. Grayscale is further shocked to discover his long-lost mother, Crystal; as played by Farrell Parker (another double-threat, she also plays shipmate Hue), the mother's whining and kvetching are pitch-perfect.

Production-wise, Schlafstein has really pulled out all the stops here beginning with an amusing, sitcom-style opening credit sequence, complete with texts unfurled to announce each member of the cast. Set designer Jos. B. Musumeci, Jr. has once again worked miracles with the Writer's Center theatre, creating a versatile performance area that moves from ship to shore and back again, with all manner of nooks and crannies (and dungeon) which are fully exploited by the cast. In addition to the inevitable poetry slams there are actual fights, well-choreographed by Jonathan Ezra Rubin, for those times when words fail our protagonists.

In addition to his writing duties Mr. Fernebok has decked out the cast in appropriate swash-buckling gear (what must his closet look like, we wonder) and Kristin A. Thompson creates some nice effects with lighting that seems to come from every possible direction. Company member Neil McFadden has created a knowing, nudge-nudge soundscape, with just enough cheesy accents and inside jokes to remind you where you really are. The show is also enhanced during the pre-show and intermission with original sea-shanties, sung with gusto.

If you haven't seen a Flying V production yet, this is as good as it gets-check them out, and I am sure you'll see why I have found this company to be among the most inventive and enjoyable in the DC area.

Production Photo: Carlos Saldana (left) as Ray del Mar and Matthew McGee as Finn. Photo by Wilder Photography.

The Pirate Laureate and the King of the Sea runs February 12-March 1 at The Writer's Center, 4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD.

Tickets can be purchased through Brown Paper Tickets online at http://flyingv.brownpapertickets.com or at the door starting one hour before the performance.

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