Boatful of fun

Aye, matey, there be marauding pirates pillaging and plundering up in yonder hills of Folsom. Falcon’s Eye Theatre has gathered a bunch of talented scalawags and swashbucklers to tell the tale of Treasure Island—Robert Lewis Stevenson’s coming-of-age story that introduced such iconic pirate symbols as the treasure map, “X marks the spot” and one-legged men with parrots on their shoulders.

Director David Harris skillfully leads a cast of community-theater actors and Folsom Lake College acting students through this exciting yarn, made even more impressive with an amazing, innovative set by designer Ian Wallace that’s worth the trip in itself.

The production’s a work of art, both visually and technically. The stage is a beautiful wooden square that rotates and tilts to convey a pub, a ship and an island. The backdrop includes projected silhouettes portraying a wharf and a jungle, and the live sound effects created offstage include the clanging of swords, storms, wildlife and impending doom. The beautifully rendered costumes creatively capture the characters, and exciting fight scenes are expertly choreographed.

Nicholas Robyn deftly portrays the tale’s narrator, young Jim Hawkins, who skillfully ropes the audience in with his awestruck telling of his sea adventure (though his words were lost at times due to a lack of projection). Other cast members include Jay Patrick giving a believably menacing yet human Long John Silver, Brennan Villados providing comedic relief as Rathbone, Lia Rose as a plucky Captain Smollett, as well as an enthusiastic shipload of pirates, treasure hunters and sundry villagers.

The beginning of the play lacks a little oomph, but by the end of the first half, it successfully pulls the audience completely into this pirate world, with the second half nonstop suspense. Though the action onstage is compelling, it’s also fun to watch the reaction of younger wide-eyed audience members who are thoroughly captivated by this adventurous sea tale of pirate treachery and treasure.