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Theater
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Saturday, 03 October 2009 00:36 |
 By K.D. Hopkins
Greed, blood lust, and chicanery are the ingredients for a great adventure tale. The Lifeline Theatre’s production of “Treasure Island” mixes all of the aforementioned in a just-right recipe.
Robert Louis Stevenson’s characters are brought to life by an energetic cast that gives nuanced and yet modern performances to classic characters from the Victorian era.
The set is a maze of bunkers, lofts, and ladders representing the Benbow Inn, the Hispaniola, a maritime tribunal, and the murky Caribbean of pirate legend. The set is lit in hues of red that add a dank edge of reality to the fantasy of a boy’s coming-of-age tale.
I was drawn in the same as when I sat transfixed by “Family Classics” on Sunday afternoons decades ago. This adaptation adds new layers that I do not recall being in the Wallace Beery/Jackie Cooper version.
Warren Weber is the actor who plays young Jim Hawkins. He gives raw shading to the orphaned boy drawn to a violent world. Mr. Weber does not play the role as the pouting moppet seen in the early cinematic versions.
Hawkins has to hold his own against drunken pirates who threaten him with sinister consequences. Weber’s performance is subtle and not over-emoted. He embodies a gawky young kid in a man’s world, which is easier read than done.
Sean Sinitski as the legendary Long John Silver gives a great performance. He looks as if he were one of the maritime mercenaries that troll the modern day island bars thrown back in time. Silver is a pirate and a master con artist played with gusto and humor by Sinitski.
Christopher Walsh plays the character of Billy Bones with menacing fervor. He has an imposing presence that plays well into the character’s alcohol-fueled rampages.
An excellent supporting cast rounds out the band of marauders. Chris Hainsworth, Eduardo Garcia, and C. Sean Piereman play a variety of roles. They switch costumes and identities seamlessly while playing each role distinctly.
Ezekiel Sulkes was hilarious as the cheese desiring Ben Gunn. I don’t know if his visage was an intentional homage to Monty Python’s Terry Palin as the Marooned Guy, but it worked well, with a touch of Renfield thrown in for good measure.
I enjoyed the characters of Dr. Livesey, Squire Trelawney, and Captain Smollett played by Patrick Blashill, John Ferrick, and Robert McLean respectively.
Their characters are purported to be on the good side of the morality coin, but the actors portray them as more human than just being good guys and all for king and country. They do an exemplary job of keeping the characters from being one-dimensional costume mannequins.
I would recommend that you see this excellent production. It is another fine addition to the work that the Lifeline Theater has been bringing to the Rogers Park community and the city of Chicago for 27 years. The house is a re-imagined telephone switching station and a great space for theater.
Keep in mind that while “Treasure Island” is a classic of young people’s literature, this is not a show for young children. I struggled through parts of the show because the person behind me brought a child who could not have been more than five or six.
The kid had questions about everything, which is natural. Sir, next time rent the movie and wait until the kid is at least ten. There is violence and suggestive language in the production.
This excellent adaptation was done by John Hildreth and directed by Robert Kauzlaric. The show runs through November 1 at Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. Show times are: Thurs. & Fri. at 7:30pm; Sat. at 4 & 8pm, and Sun. at 4pm. For tickets and more information, call (773) 761-4477 or visit www.lifelinetheatre.com
Photo information: Jim Hawkins (played by Warren Webber) subdues the pirate Israel Hands (played by Chris Hainsworth) (Credit: Suzanne Plunkett) |
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