A classic adventure story comes to life this weekend at the Magik Theatre. David Morgan, no relation to this reporter, wrote the Magik Theatre's adaption of the literary classic Treasure Island, and he created the play so that everything emerged from one big object on the stage.
"I designed it around a giant shipping container. The whole show comes out of that box," he explained. "The first actor you see comes out the top of it. Everyone else appears from it. All the set, the props, everything comes out of that, then goes back into it at the end."
It becomes a boat, an island, whatever's needed.
"It makes it like another character because, you're like sitting there and like 'what the heck is this thing going to do next?'"
While not a musical per se, there are a few songs.
"We have a ukelele and a guitar and a concertina, which is the little squeezebox thing," he explained. "It's more of a play with music, than a Broadway-style musical."
The real focus, of course, is the story's young hero.
"Jim is a boy who's craving adventure. Nothing ever happens; he lives in the middle of nowhere. And so then he goes on an adventure, meets Long John Silver, the ship's cook."
Like most good stories for young people, adventure with a touch of danger is at the heart of this one.
"It's just a hero's journey where a young kid seeking adventure goes out, finds adventure." Then Morgan laughed, "Careful what you wish for!"
It's good family fare, but might not be for the very young.
"Mature 7-year-olds, 6-year-olds. Any age from 6 or 7 on up is fine for sure."
If you've not been there, the Magik Theatre is next to the Yanaguana Garden on South Alamo, just north of Cesar Chavez. As to the run of the play, it opens August 20 and runs through September 18.
Find more on Treasure Island here.
