Written by Isabella Kopits
The Agassiz is buzzing with activity. For the past week, every member of the cast and staff has left the theatre with wood chips in their hair, paint splatters on their jeans, and smiles on their faces. Pirates is in tech week! It’s all hands on deck before we open on the 27th. Although definitely sleep-deprived, the cast is bursting with excitement. We’re going all out for this production, and our incredible staff has been working on overdrive. ’Tis the season for developing a caffeine addiction!
Although we’ve been working hard, Pirates is such great material to work from; Gilbert and Sullivan are both on our side this semester. According to the Gilbert and Sullivan archives, Sullivan wrote much of the operetta in New York. In an odd twist of fate, the city that never sleeps inspired our director, too, when he looked at the libretto.
The Agassiz Theater has always seemed to me like New York City, bustling, bright, and a little bit magical after the sun sets. Maybe it’s the glamour of the building or even the sounds of construction—something about this place grips my Broadway-loving heart and transports me to Manhattan.
Our brilliant set designer, Barra Peak has made fantasy into reality with our set, which looks more like a set from MGM Studios in the ‘40s. One almost anticipates Marlon Brando to appear on our two-toned set (until the cast bursts into song, of course). Leave the gun, take the cannoli (not into the theater, please), and prepare to see the grit of the New York City mafia collide with the hilarity of Gilbert and Sullivan in their most beloved operetta, The Pirates of Penzance opening Friday!
Get your tickets in a New York minute before they’re sold out!
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Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert and Sullivan Players 