TREA$URE I$LAND B)

Pirates. Ships. Lost treasure. Such a world seems far removed from our own. The romantic, exotic atmosphere is difficult to capture on a high school stage, but Oakton High School’s production of Treasure Island did exactly that.

Treasure Island was originally a book written by Robert Louis Stevenson before being adapted into a play by Ken Ludwig. A classic coming-of-age tale, Treasure Island tells the story of the young Jim Hawkins, who is recruited for the search for a lost treasure. When the crew on Jim’s ship rebels, he is forced to pick sides: will he support the Squire, who commissioned the search, or Long John Silver, head of the ship’s crew? By the end of the story, Jim has transformed from a timid boy to a confident sailor.

As the show’s narrator, Jim Hawkins, Madison Carter delivered her many difficult monologues quickly, with a youthful spirit fitting of a young, naive boy. Accompanying Carter was Long John Silver (Michael Williamson). Speaking with a gruff accent without sacrificing his diction, Williamson was able to firmly establish himself as the tough leader of the ship’s crew while still showing compassion to Jim Hawkins. Together, the two explored their relationship throughout the play, fighting as traveling companions at odds, as well as developing a heartfelt bond as surrogate father and son.

Highlights among the strong supporting cast included pirate-on-the-lam Billy Bones (Zac Branciforte), who commanded one of the show’s first scenes with a crazed, drunken energy. Stumbling about the stage with uninhibited confidence, Branciforte’s brash, funny performance set the play’s bold and comedic tone. Just as Branciforte shone in the first act, Tim Cerva shone in the second as Ben Gunn, a sailor marooned by Long John Silver. Cerva’s performance, accented with a shaking voice and jittery mannerisms to match, gave off a convincing portrayal of Ben Gunn’s insanity. In addition, the members of the supporting cast maintained dedicated to their characters, their small, detailed gestures making for a more nuanced performance.

Intelligently designed lighting effects by Jess Farhan and Alina Shinn added to the show’s immersion, especially during day-to-night transitions, when the lights cycled through an array of vibrant colors to show the passage of time. Custom-made costumes, sewn by Emma Jackson and Angela Guarino, were impressively detailed and fit the diverse characters perfectly. Additionally, fight choreography by Craig Lawrence and Erik McIntosh was intense and realistic, the clanging of the metal swords adding just the right background to the actors’ impressive physicality.

Oakton High School’s production of Treasure Island, led by excellent actors backed by solid tech, certainly did the classic tale justice. Though the swashbuckling world of pirates has been gone for centuries, the production certainly brought it back to life for one more night.