‘Pirates’ Sets Sail This Weekend

An operetta of action, adventure, comedy and love is ready to take shore at Harvard’s Agassiz Theater. In nine performances spanning from Thursday, Dec. 2 to Saturday, Dec. 11, the Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert and Sullivan (G&S) Players hope to pillage, plunder, sing and act their way into the hearts of pirates and fair maidens alike with their latest performance, The Pirates of Penzance.

The Pirates of Penzance opens its winding tale with Frederick, played by Arlo D. Hill ’08, a boy forced into servitude on a pirate ship at the age of eight. Upon his release at the age of 21, Frederick falls in love with Mabel (Chelsey J. Forbess ’07), the daughter of Major General (Jeff W. Howard ’08). As the pirates threaten to capture Mabel and her sisters—and Major General lies to spare them—Frederick is obliged to return to the pirate ship due to an unfortunate loophole in his contract. The remainder of the story unfolds in a whirlwind of action, honor and a final act of mercy.

Producing a performance on such a large scale was no easy endeavor. Directors Ashley A.P. Horan ’05 and Mark P. Musico ’07 accepted the challenge of managing the large cast and crew while sticking to the group’s mantra of “traditionally untraditional.”

“Everything has gone smoothly so far—knock on wood!” said Horan, attributing the success of the production so far to “a phenomenal cast, design team and staff.” She added, “Working with a large cast like this is always challenging, as is the coordination of a large staff, but our producers and design teams have worked unbelievably well to make this show come together.”

Forbess praised the talent of the cast as one of the most positive attributes of the show and one of the most crucial contributions to its hopeful success. She said, “The quality of the show is highly professional. More importantly, I have had more fun doing this show than I’ve ever had during a production. This cast is extremely talented, and every individual cast member contributes to the hilarity and brilliance of the production.”

Brianne Boyd, who plays the role of Ruth, echoed her sentiments: “The group as a whole is so into putting on the show and making it something to be proud of. I know I’ll be proud enough to wear an eyepatch and pirate hat to class—and I don’t even go to Harvard!”

Despite the artistic license the cast and production staff take to add to the show’s comedic effect, audience members will still see and hear the original script and score of The Pirates of Penzance. Horan noted that “most people will probably not be expecting many of the things that happen on stage. I think most Harvard students will be pleasantly surprised at just how funny operetta can be when done in the right way.”

In addition to changes in the dramatic aspects of the show, set designer Margaret D. Maloney ’06 has taken liberties with the scenery to emphasize the G&S Players’ “traditionally untraditional” theme. Citing N.C. Wyeth’s drawings for the book Treasure Island as inspiration, Moloney said, “I wanted to avoid the standard staging for Pirates, but at the same time remain true to the play and its style. Most productions of Pirates have only the barest mention of a pirate ship, usually painted on a backdrop off in the distance. In this production we wanted to highlight Frederic’s complete immersion in pirate life and his sudden removal from it, so we begin with a pirate ship onstage, which is transformed into a rocky beach and a world completely foreign to Frederic as soon as the pirates leave.” With the assistance of a rotating platform spanning the width of the stage, scene changes are easy and allow the audience to see convincing, life-size sets.

From paradise beaches to the open seas, the cast of The Pirates of Penzance will take the audience on a journey full of tossing and turning, ruthless pirates, and a treasure quest for a happy ending, even for the worst Bluebeard.

Special performances include a “milk and cookies matinee” at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4, and a “hack night,” which takes place on Saturday, Dec. 11 when the show’s run ends.