L-R: Hue (Maggie Erwin), Captain Greyscale (Matthew Pauli), Opal (Megan Reichelt), and Finn (Alex Vaughan) at the helm of the ship. Photo by Ryan Maxwell.
Who would have thought that a play about a pirate poet could be such a humorous delight and also so engaging! Flying V’s production of The Pirate Laureate of Port Town is that and more. Local playwright Zachary Fernebok has written a play that is worthy of a crowning of laurel.
Each of the six actors delight in his or her role(s) and easily immerses the audience in Fernebok’s lyrical lines and touching story.
In the realm of the seas in Port Town, to have a genuine pirate crew there must be a Pirate Laureate on board to spin tales of notorious pirate exploits, like navigating the rough waters or ransacking a town for spoils. However, on Capitan Grayscale’s ship, the Pirate Laureate, Finn, (a charming Alex Vaughan) is a poet with a secret – in his spare time he writes love poems to Sandy (an earnest Megan Graves), the woman he left behind in Port Town, and sends them to his awaiting love as a message in a bottle. When the Capitan and Crew decide to return to Port Town even though they have been forbidden to do so, Finn must decide if he should stay with the love of his life or return to the high seas with his beloved crew.
L-R: Opal (Megan Reichelt), Ruby (Doug Wilder), Captain Greyscale (Matthew Pauli), Hue (Maggie Erwin), Finn (Alex Vaughan), and Sandy (Megan Graves). Photo by Ryan Maxwell.
Each of the six actors delight in his or her role(s) and easily immerses the audience in Fernebok’s lyrical lines and touching story. Maggie Erwin (First Mate Hue and Cesealia) pilfers the stage first with her stern Hue and then with her fickle and flighty role of Governess Cesealia. Doug Wilder’s (Ruby/LeReif) presence on stage captures the attention and the laughs portraying both his characters which are extremely different. Megan Reichelt (Opal/Aurora) played her two opposite characters with aplomb, and Matthew Pauli as Capitan Grayscale delightfully anchored the ever-changing characters and adventures. Jason Schlafstein’s deft directional choices brought the audience rolling and bumping along with the pirate ship.
Running Time: 2 hours with one 15-minute intermission.
The Pirate Laureate of Port Town is playing through February 17, 2013 at The Writer’s Center, 4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD. For more information or tickets call 517-723-2017 or click here.
