As someone in their early 60s I have to admit that it's been a long time since I read Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure novel Treasure Island about pirates and buried treasure, so when I heard that the Ottawa School of Theatre's all ages class was going to stage their own adaptation of the story I was intrigued.
When I actually saw the play on April 19, my intrigue was replaced by total joy. The cast was nothing short of brilliant. They were funny. They delivered their lines impeccably. And they showed absolutely no fear.
I especially liked the trio of ensemble numbers they performed including "Mermaids" by the Gothard Sisters and "Skull & Bones" by Home Free, both of whom granted their special permission for the songs to be used.
But the star of the show for me was Amanda Putz who played Long Joan Silver. That's right, instead of Long John Silver, they had Long Joan Silver. Shiver me timbers. I'm not sure what Robert Louis would think of that littile switcharoo, but Putz was amazing.
The play was filled with sea creatures, mermaids and, of course, pirates. In fact, there were 50 cast members in total, all of whom had an integral part in the play, which is testament to the job done by director Megan Piercey Monafu who was blessed by the sheer wizardy of Gerry Clement, the man responsible for the design and contruction of the set, including a 20-foot pirate ship made entirely of cardboard. Brilliant.
The play was also aided by the presence of fiddler Mathieu Carrigan who accompanied the musical numbers with reels and jigs that had everyone in the Richcraft Theatre tapping out their own accompaniment with their feet.
Other musical acoompaniment was provided by Tim Edwards, Kyle Noyes, Gemma Noyes and max Turiff.
In the end, Treasure Island was one of the best OST all ages productions that I can remember. Kudos to the entire cast and crew for putting on such a wonderfully entertaining show.
JEFF LEIPER LISTENING TOUR stop from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Stray Dog Brewing Company, 501 Lacolle Way. Come out and share ideas, raise concerns, and talk about the issues with mayoralty canddiate Jeff Leiper.
TRIVIA NIGHT from 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday night at the Royal Oak Pub Orléans. Free to play. Prizes for the winning team! The Royal Oak Pub is located at 1981 St. Joseph Blvd. near Jeanne d'Arc. For more info visit 
TRIVIA NIGHT from 6:30 p.m. at the Stray Dog Brewing Company. Exercise your grey matter before it turns to mush over the holidays. Reservations are a must to secure your spot. Send your team name and number of people to info@straydogbrewing.ca. The Stray Dog Brewing Company is located at 501 Lacolle Way in the Taylor Creek Business Park.
OPEN MIC NIGHT upstairs at the Orléans Legion, 800 Taylor Creek Dr. starting at 7 p.m. Singing, comeday, poetry and more. All level of talent welcomne. Sign up at the door. Bring some friends and have some fun.
MOTHER'S DAY TEA PARTY hosted by the Rotary Club of Orléans from 12 noon to 2 p.m. in the basement of Paroisse St-Joseph, 2757 St-Joseph Blvd. Tickets $50, $20 for children 5-12. Best fascinator contest. For more information, please contact Director of Fundraising Mashooda Syed at 613-255-0870. Money raised will go to the Columbia Learning Centre the Corner of Knowledge.
