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Monkey Island The Play


pirate boy

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THE SECRET OF MONKEY ISLAND =SUCESS

 

89 rollicking audience members (we were only expecting 40) left the auditorium on the 21st smiling earnest smiles wondering the next night of the play would be. We definately got some major laughs... everywhere. We had several people there who've played the game before and were surprised about how much of the original game was actually interpretted into the play. A few glitches here and there, most were comically ignored.

 

Drinks were sold at the door from a bar like setting included

Creme Soda, Root Beer, and Grog

along with the traditional Coca Cola products

 

Voodoo Lady stole the show and everyone loved Guybrush. What the best part is, this was supposed to be the bad night. Friday of this week will be even better, more packed, and everything will be much much smoother.

 

I've already taken a couple of pictures, I plan to take dozens more of the actors and sets that are absolute gorgeous and hopefully scummbar will be nice enough to feature them on their website showing off the hardwork these individuals put into this show. It is because of the fans on forums like this that I put this show together. I'm amazed at your devotion to this play, even if you couldn't have been there.

In terms of the script... not yet but let me check with Lucas first besides what is left of what I originally wrote has either been modified or expanded on.

 

I have to go do homework but I wanted to let you guys know how well we did.

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Originally posted by pirate boy

It is because of the fans on forums like this that I put this show together. I'm amazed at your devotion to this play, even if you couldn't have been there.

 

Awwwwww

 

*sob* I'm honored!!!!

 

:)

 

You did all that for me? There are cheeper and easier ways of making me happy.

 

[serious bit] that all sounds really good. Well done. I agree with Joshi - I wouldnt mind seeing the script [/serious bit]

 

I know I put a lot of work and hours into this - and i expect to be well payed!

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Pirates and a villain will roam the stage

 

A swashbuckling play, written by a Hammond senior, is to be performed tonight

 

By Dana Klosner-Wehner

Special To The Sun

 

April 29, 2005

 

Hammond High School senior Chris Heady wrote, produced, directed and stars in The Secret of Monkey Island, which will be performed at 6:30 p.m. today at Hammond High School.

 

The swashbuckling, colorful production is based on a popular video game series bearing the same name by LucasArts Entertainment Co. The play includes pirates, a damsel in distress and a villain. It is tongue-in-cheek and pokes fun at the likes of Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean and Star Wars, Heady said.

 

Mission accepted

 

The plot - written in the same vein as the video games - follows hero Guybrush Threepwood, played by Hammond junior Matt Lehtonen, as he completes three missions to become a pirate. These include hunting treasure, sword fighting and stealing an idol. Moments after completing these missions, he discovers the island's beautiful governor, played by senior Alicia Sprull, has been kidnapped by an evil pirate, played by Heady. Threepwood sets out to save her from another island where she has been whisked away. On the way, he thwarts a mutinous crew, a voodoo spell and cannibals.

 

Much like the show's main character, Heady had to overcome many obstacles to get the show off the ground.

 

"The game has a huge fan base online," said Heady, who wrote and produced another play for an independent study project at school last year. "Around the time Pirates of the Caribbean came out, they were all arguing [through postings on an Internet bulletin board] that Monkey Island would make a great movie. I thought they can argue forever and nothing will ever come of it."

 

Heady - who has been acting since he was 5 at Drama Learning Center and is a Cappie nominee (an organization that recognizes high school theater) for his role in a recent school production of Bye Bye Birdie - decided a play would be right up his alley. He went to work last summer.

 

'Hitting roadblocks'

 

"He wrote the play for no credit at all," said gifted-and-talented resource teacher Debbie Messer. "He was trying to get licensing from LucasArts to get [the play] produced, but he was hitting roadblocks."

 

When school started, Messing helped him find the right people to get the necessary contract for licensing LucasArts' characters and plots.

 

"They gave us the rights to run it for one year," Heady said. "As long as the scripts did not go to anyone but cast and crew, and as long as it was shown for nonprofit purposes."

 

With the legal question out of the way, Heady was required to get approval from the school board and school Principal Sylvia Patillo. That done, Heady had to arrange rehearsal time in the school auditorium and recruit teachers who would volunteer to supervise rehearsals.

 

All missions were completed. But because the play was an independent production, the school could not provide any funding.

 

"This was going to be quite expensive," Heady said. "We needed to buy props and costumes."

 

There was a possibility the show would not go on. But when friends heard of Heady's plight, they pulled together.

 

"Chris always supports everyone else," said Sven Radhe, 19, a Hammond High School graduate who plays drums in Curbside, a local band. "As a friend, he is always there providing a shoulder to lean on. He has always supported the band by drawing posters and whatever else we needed. We didn't want to let money get in the way of his dream."

 

Benefit concert

 

During the winter, Radhe put together a benefit concert that included four other local bands. The show sold out and raised $800. That, coupled with some of the money Heady made from part-time jobs, was enough to give the show its sea legs.

 

After an open audition, the show had 15 cast members and a crew of 10. All, including Heady, are volunteers receiving no school credit for the production.

 

The cast and crew enjoy working for Heady, who they say has a clear, creative vision, but is open to ideas.

 

The project provided creative outlets behind the scenes, as well. Hammond junior Kate Lally, the show's costume director, had creative control over the wardrobe. In the school's Bye Bye Birdie production, she was an assistant.

 

"It was a great opportunity to do things myself," Lally said. "Chris is a perfectionist, and sometimes it was stressful to get things to be exactly as he wanted them, but it was all for the better. It made me work harder."

 

An accomplishment

 

"It was just me and Chris, with no greater authority to hold us down," said Hammond senior Kori Chaney, the assistant director. "If something was wrong, we had to fix it. It really gave me a sense of accomplishment."

 

And for Heady, the hard work has paid off. The play was performed last Thursday, and he received great feedback.

 

"I really enjoyed transforming an idea in my head to something written on a page, to something performed on stage that the audience enjoys."

 

Heady is also an accomplished artist - his work has been shown at Howard County Center for the Arts and The Mall in Columbia. He plans to attend an art institute in the fall.

 

"The Secret of Monkey Island" will be performed at 6:30 tonight at Hammond High School. Tickets are $5. Information: 410-313-7615.

 

Copyright © 2005, The Baltimore Sun

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I'm the guy who played Herman Toothrot, The Lookout, and the Voodoo Head in the show and I have to tell you... the script is probably one of the farthest things you'll find from the true beauty of the production. Alot of it had to do with improv and the sets, which chris aka pirate boy should be posting on the site one of these days... maybe.

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I have 100 pictures taken of the actual show. Worldofmi is in talk of hosting them on their website just it'll take a while to get them all up and they're kindof busy. If scummbar is willing to host them as well someone please let me know.

 

As for video, it was my understanding that scummbuddy had gotten videotape of the show. Last I heard he was breaking down the format into smaller chunks for easier viewing

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Originally posted by pirate boy

I have 100 pictures taken of the actual show. Worldofmi is in talk of hosting them on their website just it'll take a while to get them all up and they're kindof busy. If scummbar is willing to host them as well someone please let me know.

 

As for video, it was my understanding that scummbuddy had gotten videotape of the show. Last I heard he was breaking down the format into smaller chunks for easier viewing

 

Yeah, send me a mail at remster@gmail.com and we'll add it somewhere.

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Finally, back. Not from the show, but back on the forums. Seems there was a mix-up with the fact that I am a registered member, but anyways.

 

I've got the show on tape, and am sending a copy to Chris for his viewing pleasure, with added music, and an intro and credits. Oh, its awesome. Thanks again to Chris for putting on such a great and funny show. I also loved the things that weren't scripted, such as the noises the chicken(&pully) made at inoportune times...

 

What sucked was that during the show that I taped, some person kicked their glass bottle over and it rolled the whole stadium down making an excessive amount of noise that my camera picked up, but other than that, everything came out perfect.

 

Oh, what a fun time.

 

And here's a finalized pic of the DVD case that Chris will be getting.

 

midvd1.jpg

 

He definitly kept me on my toes as a videographer. I wish I had gone to the show the time before, and seen how the show was to go, so I could have made a better video, such as when Guybrush is searching for treasure, he goes to places that I wasn't expecting to have to tape, but it all worked out. Can't wait to hear how he likes it.

 

I just lucked out living 20 minutes away from the show.

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Sam & Max!

Sam and Bruno won't be much of a problem. Max might have to be CG, though, which may lead to some problems in theater. Trixie will be tough to cast and I think we would enjoy Conroy's musical contribution.

 

The Dig!

After the previous success, your budget for setpieces will sky rocket. You'll have tons of beautiful sky paintings and pools that will be re-arranged for various coastal regions of the game. You can save some money on the human's costumes, but the Cocytan(s) and creatures will prove difficult. Working with the dog that plays the critter will require a lot of training.

 

Full Throttle!

I imagine some customized mopeds and a background painting that is moved endlessly to deliver the feeling of driving the bikes.

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