(Editor’s note: the following is a post sent by Charles Way, playwright of Pirates! A Boy at Sea.  All of us at Imagination Stage are grateful to Charles for his wonderful script and collaborative spirit.  We look forward to working with him again.)

Just a quick word to say thank you to all at Imagination Stage for providing me with a stimulating experience during my recent trip to work on and witness the last rehearsals and opening of Pirates!  A Boy at Sea. The play was a new co-commission with Polka Theatre in London–and thus the same play was given two different productions virtually at the same time. It was fascinating to see how the script sometimes led to very similar directorial decisions being made and at others was open enough to allow for variations. Polka Theatre is a narrow theatre and Imagination stage a wide one and it’s from this physical reality that the two productions take shape–both with very appealing and dynamic designs though very different. In general terms the American production felt faster paced- but interesting in terms of actual performing time was pretty much the same. The reviews from both countries have been excellent: “Seriously intelligent children’s theatre that is also great fun” (Time Out London) and “Young audiences wholly spellbound by Way’s adventure tale” (Washington Post).   What was great in both productions was to see kids on the edge of their seats–and being committed as an audience to Jim’s emotional sea voyage and the adults slowly realising that there was more to the play than just swashbuckling-of which there is a fair amount. Thank you to both companies for investing in a brand new play for children.

–Charles Way

Tags: Artists, Pirate Repertory