In the News: Pirates of Penzance’ on stage this weekend

This weekend and next, Newberg residents will not need to travel to the Caribbean to find pirates, as the Newberg High School drama department will perform “Pirates of Penzance.”  The show, a comic opera by Arthur Sullivan and W.S. Gilbert, includes a large-scale pirate ship designed by NHS senior Quinn Ouellette, a colossal backdrop, Jolly Rogers and a plethora of wigs and prosthetic pieces of facial hair.

The play follows the story of Frederick, a young man who is apprenticed to a band of pirates until he reaches his 21st birthday.
NHS senior Austin Comfort, who plays Frederick in half of the performances, said he had been a little nervous about the role because of the high-range songs. “It’s one of the hardest roles I’ve done,” said Comfort, “but also the most fun.”

The play begins as Comfort’s character prepares to affectionately leave the band of pirates who raised him and set out into the world. He is confused by the affections of his childhood nurse, Ruth, played in Comfort’s cast by senior Lauren Haney. Ruth has convinced Frederick that she is a beautiful woman, as he has never seen one, despite the fact that drama teacher Drea Ferguson described Ruth as “asthetically challenged.”

Haney said that caking on the makeup to give Ruth her gruesome looks was one of the hardest parts of the play, but not the hardest. “Learning to dance while singing is really difficult,” Haney said.

In fact, the difficulty of Pirates of Penzance has defined the entire NHS theater season. Ferguson reported that she cut the summer play and moved the winter play to the beginning of the year in order to “give the kids an extra four weeks just to work on the music.”
“I’m always looking for something that’s going to challenge them,” Ferguson said.

The play is a complete production including a live orchestra in the pit. NHS choir teacher Jason Taylor became so involved in planning the music that he even makes a cameo in the play.

As the play continues onward, the main character soon happens upon a group of ladies and, now seeing real pretty women, is immediately smitten with one of them. The pirates arrive on scene and decide to steal the pretty group of women. However, the girl’s father, the Major General arrives and convinces the pirates to let them go because he is an orphan and these particular pirates will never harm orphans.

Eventually Frederick is convinced he must go back with the pirates because his birthday is on a leap day and he is therefore only 5, according to the pirate king, and he reveals that the major general is not an orphan. The incensed pirates have a confrontation with the local police that results in a chaotic and silly climax.

“It’s so much fun,” Ferguson said. “It’s just a jolly romp. People will come and have fun. If you want to have fun this is the show to go to; perfect for the holiday season.”

To reserve tickets for the show, call 503-554-5305. Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for students.

Story by Renata Sweeney , The Newberg Graphic