PIRATES OF PENZANCE, or the slave of duty
Adapted by Sean Graney and Kevin O’Donnell after Gilbert and Sullivan
The Hypcorites @ Chopin Basement
Directed by Sean Graney
Set by Yours Truly
Costumes by Alison Siple
Lighting by Jared Moore
Sound by Mischa Fiksel
THE STORY
When a boy, Frederick was accidentally apprenticed to a PIRATE band rather than a PILOT by his short-of-hearing nurserymaid, Ruth, who has followed him into the pirate life. Today is the day he turns 21, and thus ends his apprenticeship. As he abhors the pirate life he declares he will leave it, and will be forced to hunt down his former comrades, as a righteous citizen and man of England. Ruth endeavors to go with him as his betrothed, and the pirate band is hopeful of her departure, while Frederick says he’ll marry her, if she is indeed a fine-looking woman. But upon seeing a bevy of young ladies, he rejects Ruth, and falls for the lovely Mabel. Her sisters are nabbed by the pirates and are claimed as brides, but their capture is interrupted by the arrival of the aged Major General, their father, who falsely claims he’s an orphan and the pirates, all orphans themselves, relent in their pillaging.
Act 2 finds the General troubled by his lie, and wandering through his grounds in his nightclothes. Frederick, who is soon to become his son-in-law, has organized a group of policemen to exterminate the pirates, but is informed by the Pirate King and Mabel that his birthday, which falls on FEB 29th, means that his indentures actually will not end until he reaches his 21st BIRTHDAY, not simply when he is 21 years old, meaning that technically he will be apprenticed until he’s 84 years old. They appeal to his sense of DUTY, and he succumbs, and becomes a pirate once again, but first he says goodbye to Mabel, and asks that she wait for him. The ineffectual police are captured by the pirates, but appeal to the pirates’ sense of patriotism and charge them submit in the name of their Queen (i.e. Victoria), which they do. Mabel then rushes in announcing that all of the pirates are actually members of the House of Peers, and the Major General relents, allowing his daughters to marry the now-former pirates.
Needless to say, it’s all whole mess of silliness, and has some wonderfully fun songs.
THE PRODUCTION
Originally, it was written as a diversion for the upper classes during the Victorian Era, and was a not-so-subtle satire of English mores. Our director, Sean wanted to make it more fun, frolicsome and contemporary, and trust me, this show is NOT for the Gilbert and Sullivan purists out there. Instead of a full orchestra, our production has been rewritten for 6 guitars, a banjo, clarinet, accordion, ukulele, mandolin, trumpet, accordion, harmonica, spoons and a washboard. These instruments are all played by the actors, IN SCENE and DURING action. It has the feel of a comically chic indie-folk band. The clothing is a wacky mish-mash of late 1950’s swimsuits, and bits of multi-period styles, (i.e. The Major General’s nightclothes in act2 are an adult –sized footed pajama-set with military epaulettes and ribbons, finished of with plush ducky slippers).
The set is a strange abstraction-- consisting of a pier cutting diagonally across the open room sitting atop mis-matched beige carpet scraps (looking a bit like a sandbar) round picnic tables topped with kiddie pools rubberduckies, and drink coolers dotting the floor. One corner has a curtain, something like a ship sail, with DUTY in big red letters stenciled across it, and another corner with a HUGE pile (like 150) beachballs. The walls of the theatre are painted a deep blue-green, and the ceiling is strung with Christmas and boardwalk lights, and tiki torches.
One of the reviews last year referred to it a “warped parrot-headed resort”... I really kinda liked that description of it.
There are a few benches, and lawn chairs about, but it’s intended that the audience is ambulatory, and free to walk about the space so that they can watch the show as it unfolds all over the space. This type of show, often called a “promenade production”, forces the audience into interacting with the space and action in very direct ways than a normal show. The actors are staged all over the space throughout the show, and the audience learns quickly how to move about to NOT be in the spotlight.
Speaking of which, this is what’s called a REMOUNT. We did it last year about this time, and it was SO successful, that the company decided to bring it back again. They brought back most of the cast and the entire design team. The set, after the last production, was purposely put in storage, as were props, costumes and some lighting equipment, specifically for this purpose.
Think of it this way… it’s cheaper to produce this time, as rehearsal time doesn’t need to be as long, and there isn’t as much of the direct outlay of funds, as per last time. It’s kinda like having a “redo”… we now get to change some of the things in staging and design that we didn’t have the time or funds to finish off properly last time. Also, it’s SUCH a fun group of people to work with, and it’s such a fun and lighthearted show. And its’ NOT yet another Christmas show.
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