Raucous pub music fills the theater. Tankards thud against tables and actors sing as elaborate, costumed pirates parade across the stage.
Theatre goers of the Palouse should expect all that and more, as UI alumnus Ariana Burns’ play, “The Three Keys of Captain Hellfire,” will make its debut Friday in Moscow.
The Theatre Department will present the play as their regular season draws to a close. The character Captain Hellfire — now known as Wilhelmina Dowdy — returns to the site of her ship’s 7-year-old wreck. “Captain Hellfire” follows the former crew of the Early Revenge as they search for the treasure they left behind.
David Lee-Painter | Courtesy
“My roommate when I was an undergrad in college wanted me to write her a show,” Burns said. “It’s taken a bit. It’s been (a few) years since I was an undergrad. I graduated in ’91, so I didn’t jump on it right away.”
Five UI alumni have returned to make the show a success. The assistant director, three actors and Burns all spent time studying at UI. Head of directing at UI and director of the show, David Lee-Painter, said their help enriches the process for the students they work with.
“I think that’s just magic,” Lee-Painter said. “Some of these alums have been out a long time, and they bring a wealth of life experience, as well as theatrical experience that really makes the process really rich and beneficial for our students and it bears out on the stage.”
Shandeen, a musical artist working out of Portland, wrote the original score for “Captain Hellfire.” Shandeen and Burns met at UI in the late 1980s. The two are writing partners, who are also working on a novel together.
Shandeen read the play as Burns wrote it and began developing the shanties about four years ago — although the music has changed as the play evolved.
“I was lucky enough to watch these characters develop and their stories evolve, so I was able to put a lot of their character into the songs for the play,” Shandeen said. “Ari wanted shanties, and I was like, ‘Well, OK,’ because I was in a rock band. But I also play traditional Irish music and I grew up with traditional Irish music.”
Ariana Burns | Courtesy
Lee-Painter said the play is a wonderful opportunity for UI’s theater students. The play is unique in its focus on farce, a type of comedy that entertains through exaggeration. This comes through in one of Lee-Painter’s favorite details — the over-the-top sense of humor.
“(Look forward to) everything,” Lee-Painter said. “I think it’s unlike anything we’ve done for a really long time, if not ever. There’s no other play like this in terms of to have this really great farce that’s hard to find. The actors are running all the time. It’s really funny, the music is really beautiful, the characters are rich and the costumes are beautiful. It’ll be a blast in the theater.”
“The Three Keys of Captain Hellfire” will play at the Hartung Theater for two weekends. There will be five 7:30 p.m. showings (April 19, 20, 25, 26 and 27) and two afternoon matinees (2 p.m. April 20 and 27). Tickets are $5 to $15 for the public and free for UI students. They are available at BookPeople of Moscow or the UI Theater Arts Department.
Lex Miller can be reached at [email protected]