Review | ‘Treasure Island’
SBCC Theatre Group’s Swashbuckling Story Has Superb Staging and Plenty of Intrigue, but a Tepid Script
Robert Louis Stevenson’s 19th-century novel Treasure Island is a story of courage and betrayal on the high seas with exotic locations and memorable characters that offer the potential for lively recreation on the theatrical stage. An adaptation of this classic tale is a good choice for the SBCC Theatre Group, who have the space, the staff, and the budget to consistently produce spectacular stage environments. In this respect, SBCC’s production of Treasure Island (directed by Michael Bernard) is incredible. Based on the position of a massive rotating set piece, the stage morphs from a port-town inn to the interior of a ship to a network of subterranean caves. Designers Patricia L. Frank and Ben Crop have outdone themselves in the creation of this vibrant theatrical atmosphere.
Treasure Island includes plenty of the swashbuckling intrigue we love about European buccaneers: mutiny, blade fights, buried treasure, and the chatty parrot on the captain’s shoulder. The noteworthy change in this adaptation (by Bryony Lavery) is that young Jim Hawkins, the scrappy hero in the center of the pirate business, is written as female. Played by Emiliana Jasper, Jim Hawkins’s indomitable will and stirring enthusiasm pushes the pace of this production, which trots playfully in the first act but trudges in the second, dragging under the weight of lifeless comedic bits pushed to their breaking point.
The more deranged and unhinged the players, the more fun pirate stories tend to be, but Lavery’s script leans toward innocent good humor. The cast is stacked with great performers, but the strength of the material is diluted, effectively placing a governor on the talent that prevents the actors from pushing boundaries. Even the amazing animatronic parrot doesn’t have enough to do. This show, which runs through March 16 at the Garvin Theatre, is a distinguished technical and design accomplishment, but remarkable visuals can’t overcompensate for faintly anesthetized action and dialog.
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