The second main stage show at the Souris Valley Theatre this summer will bring some local flavour to the tourist attraction.
Pirate Heart is an original musical comedy written by Lampman’s Maureen Ulrich, a well-known local playwright and author. The show will be performed from Aug. 8-11, and 14-18, at the theatre’s Frehlick Hall.
Cast members are Miranda Hughes (who plays Rachel McQueen), Robbie Towns (Jack Pettigrew), David Playfair (Captain Morgan), Christina Persson (Annie) and Mikael Steponchev (Seamus). Caitlin Vancoughnett is the director, Tori Yuzik and Catherine Bridge are responsible for the sets and Ben Redant is the composer and musical director.
Ulrich has had several short-term productions performed at the theatre in the past, and has written the productions for the theatre’s summer camp each year. But this is her first main-stage production at the theatre.
As such, this is the first time her work has been produced professionally without her footing the bill. The theatre is taking the risk, which she views as a “great honour.”
She described Pirate Heart as a typical plot for a pirate production, with Hughes’ character trying to win back her crew.
“It doesn’t have a lot of twists and turns, this plot, but it’s just fun,” said Ulrich. “We have five performers who play some other characters as well, and also there’s some audience participation, and some inanimate characters, so what we’re hoping is when the audience leaves, they’ll feel like they saw a much bigger show than just the five characters.”
It’s also her first foray into a musical. She worked with musical director Ben Redant, who serves as the composer for the production.
Twelve original songs are part of the show.
“It was really great working with him,” said Ulrich. “He has reworked some of the lyrics as he comes up with a score for a particular song, and he needs to change some lines so that it fits with the metre and the rhythm of the score he composed.”
The songs have to be able to move the plot forward, she said, and they can’t repeat what was said during the dialogue.
Ulrich started writing Pirate Heart about five years ago, and finished it while completing her tenure as a writer-in-residence at the Estevan Public Library last year.
“Who doesn’t love pirates? Who doesn’t love to dress up as a pirate, or hang out with pirates for a couple of hours?” she asked.
She conducted research into which famous pirate she would include, and opted for the pirate from Captain Morgan’s spiced rum, which has a strong following.
Rehearsals for the show started in the middle of June. Ulrich sat in on the first two days of the cast reading the script, and heard how excited they were.
The cast of Pirate Heart is “fabulous,” she said.
Crew members Bridge and Yuzick have done a great job of building the sets, too.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing what they do with the set, because there’s a plank that has to work,” said Ulrich. “One of the actors requested … that he actually be able to climb a mast partway, so that he could kind of hang there during a sword fight.”
Members of the audience will be brought on-stage at some point each night for a non-speaking role.
Hughes and Towns are tasked with playing the two leads in the musical in their first respective appearances at the theatre. Hughes was in Estevan earlier this year to perform at a fundraiser organized for the theatre.
Both have enjoyed their experience at the theatre, and are looking forward to performing it for the public.
“It’s so much fun. I’ve always wanted to play a pirate,” said Hughes with a hearty laugh.
Rehearsals are coming together well, she said. The music is great, and it’s a fun adventure. The performers are having fun playing their characters.
Her character is a fierce woman, and Hughes said it’s one that’s easy to relate to, because the Rachel McQueen character wants to have a career and be independent, but also wants to fall in love during her adventure on the high seas.
Towns, meanwhile, said it’s great to have a summer live theatre in Estevan. He’s excited to be working on an original production being performed for the first time.
“You’re always doing the Oklahomas and the Carousels and the Sound of Music and the Fiddler on the Roof, which everyone wants to see and are great shows, but to be able to work on a brand new piece, that’s exciting, because it’s the first time this song has ever been sung, and it’s the first time this role has ever been done,” said Towns.
It’s impressive that Ulrich and Redant have crafted such an impressive musical that is ready to be performed for the first time, he said.
Towns is looking forward to the sword-fighting and the other fight scenes. He’s worked with swords before, but there’s always a learning curve.
“I’ve done a few shows with big fights with broad staffs or broad swords or regular swords or … fencing swords, which are nice. A little easier to move about the stage.”
His Jack Pettigrew character is a charismatic individual who exaggerates his sailing ability, and is trying to hoodwink Hughes’ McQueen character.
Vancoughnett hopes that people enjoy the story and the script associated with Pirate Heart. It’s a perfect musical for the summer.
“We have such a fantastic team, and we’re so lucky that all of these actors were available to come here and be part of the show. They’re all so talented,” she said.
Persson and Playfair have been at the theatre in the past, while Vancoughnett has performed at the theatre for the Marvellous Wonderette and the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Those experiences helped her promote the theatre to cast.
“It’s just a lovely, relaxed place to be, all living together and camping,” said Vancoughnett.
