"Fearsome Pirate Frank" Sails Into Oliver Ames High School

Shiver me timbers Matey, the stage has been Shanghaied by a bunch of black-hearted Blaggards.

On Friday night, an audience of family and friends filled the auditorium to witness the debacle as the OA Drama Club presented its debut of "The Fearsome Pirate Frank" by Pat Lydersen.

A second and final performance will be held tonight at 7 p.m.  Tickets are $15 per person over age 12; tickets for children under age 12 are $10.

"It went really, really well," said Meaghan Morris, 18, who played 'Cap'n Frank.'  "Everybody had a great energy."

 "I was very, very proud of the progress that finally showed on stage tonight, especially from the new members," said Josh Wise, 17, who played actor 'Frank' in the production.  "The show was really flawless."

Morris and Wise are seniors who plan to pursue acting in college.

This year's drama club has 31 cast and crew members, and thousands of volunteers said club director Peggy Wentworth who read 20 plays over the summer before selecting The Fearsome Pirate Frank for this year's performance.

"We have so many kids try out every year so I try to pick something they can all be part of, and I thought this play was funny," said Wentworth.

The program describes the show as a shameless hopping onto the popular pirate ship.

"As the story goes, the star of a popular pirate play – "The Fearsome Pirate Frank" – is the teenage heartthrob of every girl in Shakespearean England, even though he can't remember his lines…When the actor playing Frank, and his supporting cast including prima donna Esmerelda, get kidnapped by real pirates during one of their productions, it's good-bye stardom, hello servitude on a real pirate ship…But pirate actors are not the only ones hijacked in this humorous romp.  In a chilling flashback sequence, the tale of how Captain Frank received the "Blackmark" comes alive as we see her send her crooked captain to walk the plank."

The show's treasure chest and pirate ship walls were constructed by the Oliver Ames wood shop class and painted by the Art Club.

Jasmine Harris, 17, painted the treasure chest.  She has been part of the stage crew for three years but was asked to perform in this year's show.

"We have a lot of fun," said Harris who played a Treasure Chest Pirate and a Hangman.  "There's a lot of character building, there's a lot of getting out of your shell, and you make a lot of friends." 

The program includes a helpful glossary of terms that include:

Addlepated – stupid and confused

Ahoy – Hello

Avast – Hey, Stop That, Who goes there?

Begad – by God

Belay – Stop that

Blaggard – evil or "black-hearted" person

Deadlights – eyes

Doubloon – Spanish gold coin

Gollywobber – a very large quadrilateral staysail

Scupper – thwart or destroy, especially something that belongs to another

Tar – sailor

Yaw - turn

Yo ho ho – a very practical thing to say whether it actually means anything or not [end][end]

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