Pirates Take Over Pensacola for Little Theatre’s ‘Treasure Island’

Pirates Take Over Pensacola for Little Theatre’s “Treasure Island”

Press release: Landlubbers beware, pirates are afoot in Pensacola!

The swashbuckling Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins from Pensacola Little Theatre’s production of Treasure Island took to Downtown Pensacola on Tuesday. While onshore, they spent a few minutes searching for treasure, enjoyed a workout and a cup of coffee before getting ready to take the stage for Friday night’s opening performance of the stage adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel.

PLT’s Treasure Island is set in the seafaring 1700’s and follows a band of pirates and the iconic, one-legged Long John Silver in their hunt for legendary treasure in the South Seas. The play brings all the drama expected from a band of treasure-hunting pirates but traces the coming-of-age journey of young Jim Hawkins, the cabin-boy on the ship.

Silver’s character, played by actor John Samms, who has two functioning legs, is true to form with an authentic prosthetic “peg leg,” which was fitted, fashioned, and produced by Gulf Coast Orthotics and Prosthetics in partnership with Andrews Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center.

Hawkins, played by young actor Clayton Myers, joined Silver in a short off-stage tour of Pensacola to promote the upcoming production.

Maureen McNeill, director of the production, said that the cast and crew of Treasure Island were excited about bringing the classic production to Pensacola and that everyone has enjoyed unleashing their inner pirate.

“Whether you like the hunt for treasure, the sea-faring or the intrigue, this novel is a literary classic and we hope the community will enjoy our stage production,” said McNeill. “From the costumes to lighting and casting we look forward to carrying our audience back to the 18th century South Seas and retelling this timeless story.”

As part of the Pensacola Little Theatre’s Treehouse Series sponsored by Andrews Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine, the production is geared for all ages, providing a great family-friendly way to cap off summer before school starts. Hancock Bank is the show sponsor for the Treasure Island production.

Show dates for Treasure Island are August 7-9, and August 13-16, 2015. All evening performance start at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinee begins at 2:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online or at the PLT Box office on weekdays 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. as well as one hour prior to each show.