By Jennifer Mustoe
Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island was published in 1883. Since then, millions of us have been introduced to and have fallen in love with the pirates of old. In Cedar City, Utah Shakespeare Festival brings us a brilliant production of Treasure Island onstage, adapted by Mary Zimmerman.
The story is familiar to many through Disney’s 1950 film and the later Muppet Treasure Island (1996.) Treasure Island is a coming-of-age story about Jim Hawkins (Sceri Sioux Ivers), who leaves his mother’s (Latoya Cameron) side to go to sea as a cabin boy to hunt for buried treasure. Treasure Island was the creator of all we love about all things pirate: X marks the spot, buried treasure, swashbuckling buccaneers, the Black Spot, and a treasure map that leads to a huge pile of gold. Our dreams are set alight with this new production of Treasure Island that weaves much of the text of the book (more than is usually implemented in productions) with music, a marvelous set, and lots of exciting, dastardly pirates. Throw in some greed for the gold by “the good guys”, lots of fighting, and Hawkins’ stellar honor, and you have a show that people were raving about as they walked out of the lovely Randall L. Jones Theatre.
Ivers is wonderful as Hawkins, filled with gumption, energy, honor, and wanderlust. Though most of you probably know the story, I was especially touched by Hawkins’ honor, honesty, bravery, and loyalty. I hadn’t ever recognized before that Hawkins has no real judgmental nature. He is willing to accept any man’s story, from captain to pirate, depending on the man’s need for help, and will help anyone without judgment or fear. I loved that aspect of this production of Treasure Island.
In an introductory talk by Michael Barr (Education and Shakespeare Studies Director) before the opening, we were told that we would see parts of the book that aren’t in most productions. We would see familiar characters,like Billy Bones (Geoffrey Kent), the drunken pirate that first shows the chest containing the map to young Hawkins. I loved Kent’s Billy, and his fight scenes and drunken scenes were fantastic. There are plenty of pirates in this show: a marvelous Long John Silver (Michael Elich), whose energy and black-heartedness were, I admit it, charming. (See? We love pirates.) But some of the characters aren’t as familiar, and this made this Treasure Island something special. All the actors do a perfect job–scurvy knaves all. But the stand out performances were Dr. Livesey, delightfully executed by a be-wigged Jonathan Haugen. Haugen plays the doctor with the best restraint, but you can hear the merriment in his voice. Another great performance was Andrew May‘s Squire Trelawny. May’s comedic timing, physicality, and glorious (cowardly, pretentious) attitude brings some of the biggest laughs. Captain Smollett (Paul Michael Sandburg) is another performance that brings this story to life. He is one of the “good guys”, but then, he is also all for finding the gold. Does that tarnish him? Finally, I loved the brilliance that Kent brings to his other character, the oft-vomiting servant Redruth. Without giving away any spoilers, Redruth is often hilarious but his devotion to his master is poignant and eventually heart-breaking. Finally, J. Todd Adams as the completely insane Ben Gunn is delightful. Yes, Gunn is mad from years living as a shipwreck survivor (is that a thing?) but I loved Adams’ tenderness. It’s easy to play the nutter. It’s harder to give him some value as a real person.
The set of Treasure Island is a movable ship split in half that swings around to have levels used for rooms, etc. It is a magnificent design by Jason Lajka and sets the tone that this show is BIG. Brenda Van Der Wiel‘s costumes are everything we want in a pirate show–lots of color, lots of dirt, and some blood, too. The ornate costumes for the Captain, the Squire, and the Doctor are luscious.
Director Sean Graney has this cast moving, interacting, and working together as a tight unit. This show uses much of the text from the book as narration and the blocking for this works very well. (And I LOVE that Stevenson’s book provides so much of the text and story in this show. It is a play with literature at its heart, and I can’t applaud it enough.) The other device used in this production of Treasure Island is the live band that accompanies many of the scenes. Fiddle, voice, guitar, drum are interwoven into the show, including a pre-show serenade of sea shanties. Musical Director/Composer Gregg Coffin‘s addition to the show provides a delightful layer to a show that isn’t really a musical. Finally, the ever more talented Kent choreographed some magnificent fight scenes that went on just long enough and had just enough clashing of swords to look–to coin a popular phrase–legit.
I interviewed several kids during intermission and after the show and when asked if they liked the show, they all excitedly shrieked, “Yes!” One little girl said it was her favorite so far and she had seen Guys and Dolls and As You Like It. I asked her if she followed the story well (she had to be no more than five) and she nodded and assured me that she was getting the whole story. Thus, I can with all faith and honesty recommend Utah Shakespeare Festival’s Treasure Island for the whole family. To all those who love pirates (from the Caribbean and elsewhere), this is where it all began. Come see this swashbuckling, sword-clashing, music-filled Treasure Island, fun for the whole family. You won’t be thinkin’ you’re sorry. Argh.
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Utah Shakespeare Festival presents Treasure Island, adapted by Mary Zimmerman
Randall L. Jones Theater, 300 W Center St; Cedar City, Utah 84720
July 5 – September 2, 2017, 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM on various days.
$32-75
Please visit www.bard.org for ticket availability, show dates, and times.
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