News release
Get ready for piracy, swordplay and high seas fun, as West Ranch Theatre presents a retelling of a classic swashbuckling tale in “Treasure Island: A New Adventure.”
Coming to the school’s stage Thursday, Friday and Saturday, this version – written by A.J. Allegra, Alex Wallace and James I. Bartelle – features a couple of differences from the original Robert Louis Stevenson story.
“It’s a new adaptation with two goals in mind: a comedic Treasure Island – more of a farce; and a female-forward cast, which, with my demographic at the school, was perfect,” West Ranch Theatre Director J. Scott Spradling said in a news release. “We get to see a whole pirate ship of female pirates as the antagonists in the show.”
While changes are made from the original 1883 novel, the play still centers around a young teen named Jim Hawkins, who finds a treasure map left by a patron of the inn run by his mother. He and mom join the crew on the Hispaniola on the hunt for fortune, where he meets Long John Silver, along with a plethora of pirates.
Jim is played by senior Mackenzie Hillhouse, who describes her character as a “chronic accidental protagonist: He doesn’t want to go on an adventure, but the adventure keeps finding him.”
With his father deceased, he’s looking for a male role model, and for a moment, Long John Silver seems like he’d fit the bill, she said.
But Long John Silver, the Hispaniola’s cook, knows more than he lets on, said Ian Pittman, the junior who plays him. Pittman said this is the most fun show he’s been a part of, with the sword-fighting and a great showdown for the finale.
Hillhouse said she was especially excited about the production because she grew up watching the 1950 Disney “Treasure Island” film with her grandfather. “It’s a real cool connection to my childhood,” she said in the release.
Ycia Siao plays ship captain Margaret Pew, whom she describes as a feisty woman with “a lot of energy, a lot of movement, a lot of action.”
“It’s so, so fun,” Siao said in the release, adding that she based her character off of Disney’s Ursula, with a seductive siren vibe. “There’s so much choreo(graphy), just so much action, and just the dynamic between the characters – there’s a lot to look forward to about the show.”
Gabby Anis, who plays Jim’s mother, innkeeper Ruth Hawkins, agrees: “It’s such a fun show. There’s lots of comedy, lots of physical storytelling, lots of jokes.”
Tickets are available at the door for $12 general admission, $10 seniors/veterans. Or, tickets can be purchased online prior to the day-of-show, for $10 general admission, $8 seniors/veterans, at www.westranchtheatre.com. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Nov. 5, 6 and 7, with a 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the West Ranch High School Theater, 26255 Valencia Blvd.
