MAJESTICPIECE THEATRE PRESENTS: TREASURE ISLAND
A play for voices adapted by Orson Welles from the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson
Directed by and edited for the digital stage by Cherie Gullerud
To be performed Saturday, April 18th at 7:30pm on Facebook Live
Dress rehearsal Friday, April 17th at 7:00pm
Line reading rehearsal Thursday, April 16th at 7:00pm
“Avast, ye landlubbers! Climb aboard the Hispaniola for a journey to Treasure Island!”
TREASURE ISLAND is a timeless tale of pirates and adventure written by Robert Louis Stevenson and adapted by Orson Welles for the Mercury Radio Theatre. If you’ve heard their production of his WAR OF THE WORLDS, you know how much fun is in store with this “radio” play.
In England in 1764, Young Jim Hawkins and his mother have a curious tenant at their Inn who dies and leaves behind a heavy chest. They open it, hoping to find funds to cover his year-long stay. Pirates ransack the Inn, only to find that what they are after is gone. Young Jim takes the map he found in the chest and shows it to gentlemen who have heard tales of the dreaded Captain Flint and his buried fortune. They ready a ship and crew and sail off to find the pirate’s booty on TREASURE ISLAND, but is the crew as innocent as they seem…?
We’re doing this show for the next Majesticpiece Theatre Performance, Saturday April 18th. This performance is to give our younger Majestic actors a chance to sink their teeth into some gritty, swashbuckling adventure. Due to the complexity of performing via Zoom, auditioners should be 10 and older. Gender neutral casting will be observed – you just have to show if you are TEAM BRITAIN or TEAM PIRATE! Please select ONE of the sides below and send a video of you reading it in your best pirate or British attitude to artscherie@gmail.com. Deadline is 5:00 PM Monday night. Actors who are not cast may draw pictures of the action to share.
CAST
Team Britain
Narrator – 19-year older Jim Jim Hawkins – a 14 year old boy Jim’s Mother – a widowed innkeeper Dr. Livesey – Doctor and Adventurer Squire – Enthusiastic and proud Sargent - The constable! Captain Smollett – captain of the Hispaniola Alan – Brave Crewman Robert – Brave Mariner Gunn – Former pirate, crazed Castaway
Team Pirate
Bill Bones – Gruff. paranoid pirate Black Dog – Deceitful pirate – two-faced Blind Pew – Pirate messenger Dirk – Pirate Crew Long John Silver – plays smooth and sinister, the best worst pirate of all Flint, the Parrot – a parrot who speaks in Captain Flint’s voice Morgan – Pirate Merry - Pirate Dick Johnson - Pirate Hands - Pirate
SIDES
NARRATOR: The Captain had been living with us almost a year when there occurred the first of the mysterious events that rid us at last of his presence. It was one January morning, very early -- a pinching, frosty morning. The captain had risen earlier than usual and set down the beach with his telescope under his arm. My mother was upstairs and I was laying the breakfast-table for the captain's return when the parlour door opened and a stranger stepped in.
BILL BONES: (Singing) “Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest! Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!” Admiral Benbow Inn, eh? Nice, lonely-lookin', pleasant sittyated grog-shop. (QUIET) Folks don't come here much, do they, boy? Not much company? No? Well, then, it's the berth for me. I'm a plain man; rum and bacon, eggs's all I want, and that cliff up there for to watch ships off. I've a mind to stay here a bit.
MOTHER: (SEES THE BODY) Oh! Oh, dear, deary me! What a disgrace! I've been afraid of something like this ever since he came into the house with that old chest of his. He owes us money, he does. A whole year and never a penny from him. And me a poor widow. There's somethin' in that old chest of his upstairs that's rightfully mine. And we'll have that chest open, if we die for it.
BLACK DOG: Well! My mate Bill 'ud be called the Captain, like as not. Now, we'll put it, for argument like, that your Captain's got a cut on one cheek -- and we'll put it, if you like, that that cheek's the right one, eh? But, of course! Save me, there 'e is now. There's my mate Bill! That's 'im, with a spy-glass under his arm, bless his old 'art, to be sure. You and me'll just get back behind the door, sonny, and we'll give Bill a little surprise, we will--bless his 'art, I says again.
PEW: Ye dogs! Ye had yer hands on hundreds - on thousands! Are ye giving up now? Ye'd be as rich as kings if ye could find it! Ye know it's there and ye stand there skulkin'! There wasn't one of ye dared face Bill, an' I did it - a blind man - and I'm to lose me chance fer you. I'm to be a poor crawlin' beggar, spongin' fer rum, when I might be rollin' in a coach! If ye had the pluck of a weevil in a sea biscuit among the lot of ye--!
SQUIRE: "Dear Livesey: The ship is bought and fitted. She lies at anchor, ready for sea. It was the crew that delayed me, till the most remarkable stroke of fortune brought me the very man that I required. I was standing on the dock, when by the merest accident I fell in talk with him. He had hobbled down there that morning with a parrot on his shoulder - to get a smell of salt, he said. Out of pure pity I engaged him on the spot, to be ship's cook. Long John Silver he is called, and has lost a leg. "Well, sir, I thought I only found a cook, but it was a crew I'd discovered. Between Silver and myself, we got together in a few days a company of the toughest old salts imaginable. I declare, we could fight a frigate! Seaward ho! Hang the treasure! It's the glory of the sea that has turned my head!
CAPTAIN SMOLLETT: Here's the way I see it, we must go on, because we can't turn back. Now what I propose is that we don't wait for them to surprise us, but that we come to blows at our own time, and when they least expect it. There must be some faithful hands left. Well, we must find out which ones are loyal.
GUNN: No. No, mate. Marooned! Three years, lived on goats since then, and berries, an' oysters. Mate, my heart is sore for Christian diet. You mightn't happen to have a piece of cheese about you, now? No? Well, many's the night I've dreamed of cheese -- toasted, mostly -- and woke up again, and here I was. What do you call yourself, mate?
JIM: (NARRATES) It was evening when I reached the east coast of the island. I could see the Hispaniola lying at anchor off shore. And there was the Jolly Roger -- the black flag of piracy -- flying from her peak. As the last rays of daylight dwindled and disappeared, absolute darkness settled down on Treasure Island. I swam out to the empty ship… The next night I was back on land. I was proud of myself, and with good reason. I had hidden the Hispaniola -- she'd drifted to the beach in the north inlet, with no harm done -- safe from the mutineers. I had no trouble finding the stockade. Coming in from the shore, keeping close in shadow where the darkness was thickest, I crept into the block house. I could see nothing.
SILVER: Did any of you gentlemen want to 'ave it out with me? Him that wants it shall get it. You won't fight? Then, by thunder, you'll obey. I like that boy, now. Never seen a better boy than that. He's more a man than any pair o' rats of ye in this 'ere 'ouse. What I say is this: let me see him that'll lay a hand on him--that's what I say, and you'll be hanging from that palisade. (NO RESPONSE) Hm! Seems you have a lot to say. Pipe up and let me hear it, or lay to. (Singing) “Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest! Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!”