Los Altos Youth Theater’s production of “Treasure Island,” playing at the Bus Barn Theater, 97 Hillview Ave., closes Sunday (March 22).
Based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel, the play follows young Jim Hawkins, played by 12-year-old James Rose, and his mission to find treasure after discovering a map in a dead pirate’s chest. Jim, his mother Ruth and their crew persevere through a tumultuous journey filled with friendship, betrayal and battles.
“The show is absolutely ridiculous, in the best way,” director Katelyn Miller said.
She added that the play has “so much death,” but it’s “over the top.”
The cast, ranging in age from 8 to 18, have been rehearsing three days a week for a total of 11 hours, according to Miller, with much of that time devoted to rehearsing fight scenes and working on character development.
“This group is so good. They all love to hang out with each other,” Miller said. “You can see their bond manifesting on stage, and when they have a blast, so will the audience.”
Rose, who has “loved theater all (his) life,” agrees with this sentiment.
“I love the cast,” he said. “I have many good friendships, and we work very well together.
For both Rose and Miller, the bond between Jim and Ruth, played by Maya Orr, is integral to the story.
“The connection between Ruth and Jim evolves as the story unfolds,” Miller said. “For both students in the cast and in the audience, it provides a glimpse into the life of their parents outside the way they’ve seen them their whole life.”
Rose said this relationship creates some of his favorite scenes. Apart from “seeing all the jokes,” the actor said he is most excited for the audience to experience “the heartfelt (connection) between Jim and Ruth.”
Miller noted that the female pirates who attack Jim’s crew provide the girls in the cast to act outside of societal norms placed on women.
“Pew’s crew is super nasty and brutal, which is really fun because they get to reverse those roles of what society deems as appropriate and instead lean into the weirdness and cruelty,” Miller said. “I’ve got some girls who are usually really soft spoken, but have grown in their ability to take on a playful persona.”
Miller added that plays like this are especially important in our current times.
“Theater can be a nice refuge from the heaviness of everything going on in the world, especially with an adventurous play like this one that depends more on entertainment value,” she said. “But it can also teach us to see life in a very different way, and for ‘Treasure Island,’ that could mean sharing more hidden parts of our lives with our kids or seeing our parents as having a life outside of our scope of perception.”
Performances of “Treasure Island” are set for 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $18-$28.
For tickets and more information, visit losaltosstage.org/treasure-island-2.
