Tweed and Company Teen Camp present Treasure Island

By Mike Riley

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Ahoy mateys! Tweed and Company Theatre's Young Company, It Takes a Village, Teen Camp presentation of Treasure Island happened on July 16, with one performance at 11 a.m. and another at 2 p.m. The show was a fun, light-hearted rendition of the famous book and the teen cast and audience really enjoyed it and had a few laughs during the performance.

Treasure Island was written by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson back in 1881 and is set in the days of pirates and sailing ships of the mid-1700s. It tells the story of and English innkeeper's son Jim Hawkins and his search for the buried treasure of the evil pirate, Captain Flint, on a distant island.

It Takes a Village is part of Tweed and Company Theatre's new Young Company program. For any further information on the program, people are asked to email youngco@tweedandcompany.com or call the box office at 613-478-6060.

The Teen Camp, for youth aged 13 to 18 years, was led by professionally trained It Takes a Village coordinator Richard A. Paterson. Paterson studied at Canadore College for Acting for Stage and Screen and has been pursuing his craft in North Bay and Toronto, and his credits include Schroeder in “You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown!” in Bancroft and Dromio of Ephesus in “The Comedy of Errors” in North Bay for which he received an outstanding male in a supporting role award at the QUONTA Drama Festival in 2020.

The Teen Camp helped students expand their creative processes through theatre and improvisation games that assist them in creating characters and learning new acting techniques. The camp, which ran from July 11 to July 16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., finished off with their performances of Treasure Island.

Jocelyn Perry is another instructor in the Young Company Teen Camp program, whose stage credits include Diana in “Anne of Green Gables” and Bette in “Oliver” at the Stirling Festival Theatre. She says that Paterson chose Treasure Island for the Teen Camp to perform as it is one of his favourite books.

“He has been looking forward to sharing the story onstage. It is also an excuse to have some fun onstage as pirates and sea shanties and have a good time! We have a cast of 16 with two student volunteers acting as stage hands. Richard Paterson directed the show and Mary Williams has been assistant

directing and doing the sound and lights,” she says.

The rest of the production team was stage manager and junior director Loic Plumb and volunteer camp and stage helper Mady Dynes.

The rest of the Teen Camp cast, in the order they appeared on stage during Treasure Island, were as follows; Gioia Ruby (as Jim Hawkins #1 and Hurricane Hallie), Angus Kelly (as Jim Hawkins #2 and One-Eyed Tom), Fainen Kelly (as Jim Hawkins #3 and Scurvy Pete), James Forde (as Jim Hawkins #4 and Sea Legs Sam), Jasmine Chaisson (as Jim Hawkins #5 and Black Dog), Ella Plumb (as Mom), Laine Glenn (as Billy Bones and Dancin' Dan), Jack McArthur (as Blind Pew and Moby Dick), Maddie Lawrence (as Doctor Livesey), Leah Storey (as Squire Trelawney), Rory Raymond (as Crooked Arrow), Faith Sinclair (as Honest Abby), Emily Cohen (as Tattoo Charlie and Long John Silver #2), Carman Anrep (as Long John Silver #1), Michaela Burke (as Captain Smollett), a feathery, googly eyed sock (as Wally the Parrot) and Sophia Lawrence (as Ben Gunn).

The 11 a.m. performance on July 16 was lightly attended, but according to Anne Miles, the 2 p.m. performance was nearly sold out, which was confirmed by Perry. Perry said that Miles was one of their volunteers who's been with them for almost every event so far, and is up for helping out in all kinds of ways, including ushering. She says they love having her and all of their volunteers.

Perry said that the 2 p.m. show was much fuller than the 11 a.m. show and that they had about 120 patrons at the afternoon performance.

“The audience seemed to really enjoy themselves. There was lots of laughter during the fruit bit! The kids had an amazing time!” she says.

Overall, this Bancroft This Week reporter thought the show was a fun, light-

hearted rendition of the famous book and the teen cast and audience really appreciated it and had a few laughs during the performance. Quite an enjoyable experience and a fine way to spend an hour on a Saturday.

Laurie, who was attending the performance at 11 a.m., said that her niece, Emily Cohen, was in the play, in the role of Long John Silver #2. She said that Emily's grandmother Jackie would also be there shortly.

“It's going to be quite a show!” she says.

Gillian Davidson Metcalfe was at the 11 a.m. show as well, and said her daughter Ella [Plumb, who played Mom] was in it.

“I thought it was fantastic! I love how the adaptation suited the age group so well. I particularly appreciate the opportunity for Bancroft area youth to try new things and express themselves in a safe and supportive environment,” she says. “As a parent, it has been wonderful to see the increase in confidence in such a short time.”