THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 3, 1994 TAG: 9406300220
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARGARET TALEV
LENGTH: Long : 101 lines
FROM HARRIED SET CHANGES to an engaging final act, the Ocracoke Players' weekly performance of ``A Tale of Blackbeard'' is steeped in spirit, humble pride and community effort - all that can make amateur theater great.
The musical comedy, performed Wednesday nights at the only public school on the island, is part of this town's tradition - sure as Blackbeard had 14 wives.
The school's gymnasium, which is not air conditioned, feels more like a bath house by the time intermission rolls around. But then, what pirate ever had climate control?
Much of the production's charm is in the set changes. The curtain stays up between acts as pirates dash around, turning a ship's deck into a parlor and back again.
In reality, the infamous pirate Edward Teach - called Blackbeard for the unruly mass of facial hair that intensified his wild appearance - was beheaded just off the beach at Ocracoke in November 1718.
In its ninth season since its 1974 premiere, and its first run in three years, the play is a fictional account of the pirate's last stop before being beheaded. In the play, he docks in Ocracoke where he is welcomed by a local politician. There, his favorite pupil in pirateering falls in love with Elizabeth - one of the politician's daughters - and his crew is entertained by the girls from the local bordello, Miss Euphemia's Boarding House.
``It's basically fantasy,'' said the play's author, Julia Howard. ``There really wasn't a town here in 1718 when Blackbeard was killed.''
Miss Euphemia Curtis did have a boarding house on Ocracoke, but not until the 1800s. And it may or may not have been a bordello. Curtis was buried behind the lot Howard and her now ex-husband bought in 1971 to build Village Craftsmen, and Howard decided to incorporate her into the tale.
Howard wrote the script and the music for the three-act play two decades ago, at the suggestion of an Ocracoke Player who is now deceased.
Twenty percent of door sales goes to Ocracoke School gymnasium fund, Howard said. After production expenses, the remainder of the profit goes to Ocracoke Players Inc., which gives it to the Ocracoke School arts committee. Howard said the Players donate about $1,000 to the school annually.
``We are so far removed from the rest of Hyde County that a lot of the cultural things that come to the mainland do not always come to us,'' Howard said. ``The goal, besdies having fun, is to raise money so that we can bring more cultural and artistic things to the kids.''
If the play's actors aren't all the greatest singers, the obvious pleasure they derive from their performances compensates. The dialogue is light and clever, scattered with witticisms and innuendo that get laughs from adults without confusing children.
In Act Two, Blackbeard's chef seduces the boarding house cook: ``How I'd like to get me hands on your recipes. Would you divulge them to me?''
Blackbeard, played by Park Service employee David Frum, is a bit more mellowed than historians have portrayed him. Frum, whose black beard is thin and neatly trimmed, said his character ``puts up a rough exterior, but he's got a heart of gold inside and a weakness for women. His only regret is he could never have a lasting relationship.
``I guess he was just too mean.''
Director Peter Mattsson does a good job with the cast of mostly amateur actors. And choreographers Sam Piperato and Betty-Sue Garrish add silly details to the dances that set off peals of laughter from the crowd. Mattsson, who also directed the play in 1991, plans to leave Ocracoke for Los Angeles at the end of the season. Look for an outstanding performance by Donn Kostka (Ezekiel), and listen for the lovely voice of 11-year-old Ashley Garrish (Katherine).
Locals are drawn to the show each summer. ``Every time I've ever come it's been a sell-out,'' said George Roberson, who, along with wife Mickey, owns Teach's Hole, which houses a Blackbeard exhibit. Roberson worked the lights for the show in 1974.
Many vacationers learn about the play by word of mouth or read signs posted in town.
Opening night drew several members of the Hogan family, who had come to the Outer Banks to celebrate their parents' 50th wedding anniversary.
One child, Martha Massey, and her husband Jay, had traveled from their home just outside Anchorage, Alaska. She and her siblings had come because their children wanted to see some ``guts and gore,'' she said.
Guts and gore there isn't. A sense of community, caring, tradition, warmth and pride? There's plenty of that. The pirates would be proud. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
David Frum, right, portrays the infamous pirate Edward Teach in the
Ocracoke Players production of ``A Tale of Blackbeard.''
WHERE & WHEN
Where: The Ocracoke School, ``Schoolhouse Road,'' Ocracoke
Island
When: Wednesdays, 8 p.m. through Aug. 17
Tickets: $5 for adults. $3 for children 12 and under
Method of Payment: Cash (Contribution checks may be made to The
Ocracoke Players)
Accessibility: Handicapped accessible
For more information: call The Ocracoke School, Mondays through
Fridays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (919) 928-3251
by CNB