LONG JOHN SILVER Commandeers Nashville Children's Theatre Stage in 2017

Nashville Children's Theatre (NCT) takes audiences on a swashbuckling, sea-fairing treasure hunt with Treasure Island, Scot Copeland's dramatization of Robert Louis Stevenson's epic coming-of-age tale, opening January 19 and running through February 5.

Treasure Island is described as "a drum-pounding tale that has it all: suspense, comedy, mystery, swashbuckling swordplay, honor and treachery - all amongst a crew of some of the most colorful heroes and villains in all of literature."

Based on the classic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, and dramatized by the late Scot Copeland, this action-packed adventure tells the tale of young Jim Hawkins' perilous sea journey across the Spanish Main, a mutiny led by the infamous pirate Long John Silver, and a lethal scramble for buried treasure on an exotic isle.

"Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island does not shy away from the ugly in the world," says director Samuel Whited. "Instead, this classic adventure tale faces it head-on, dealing frankly with a young man's struggle to come to terms with the harsh reality as he makes his way through the dangerous and cruel world of pirates."

Whited's cast is led by Kristin McCalley as the young inkeeper's son Jim Hawkins, with Eric D. Pasto-Crosby as the iconic Long John Silver (and his alter-ego, Billy Bones). Rounding out the cast is Tony Morton as Dr. Livesay and Morgan, Shawn Knight as Squire Trelawney and Dirk, Brian Russell as Blind Pew and Ben Gunn, and Patricia Taber as Mrs. Hawkins and the pirate Black Dog.

Whited, a familiar face on NCT's stage (he will next be seen as the Tooth Fairy in the upcoming Goodnight Moon), makes his NCT directorial debut with Treasure Island. Set design and lighting design by Scott Leathers; costume design by Patricia Taber; projection design by Colin Peterson; and sound design by Dan Brewer. Fight choreography is by Eric D. Pasto-Crosby.

Opening Night performance is Thursday, January 19, at 6:30 p.m. with a discounted ticket rate of $7 per child and $15 per adult.

School performances are weekdays at 10 and 11:45 a.m. Weekend performances are open to the public, scheduled at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays January 21 through February 5, and reservations are recommended. There is no Sunday performance on January 22. Individual weekend ticket prices are $15 per child (ages 2 to 17), $20 per adult; group, senior, educator, and military discounts are also available. A homeschool performance is scheduled for 1 p.m. on February 1, and a sign-interpreted performance is scheduled for January 29, at 2 p.m.

A Sensory Friendly performance is available Saturday, January 28, at 2 p.m. This performance is open to the public and is designed to be a safe and accepting environment where children with disabilities and their typically developing peers are free to speak and move in reaction to the story being told onstage. For all performances, NCT provides a Comfort Room in the back of our theatre where audience members can always adjust both light and sound levels.

For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.nashvillect.org or call (615) 252-4675, Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

About Nashville Children's Theatre Nashville Children's Theatre is a professional theatre company providing the children, families and educators of Middle Tennessee with extraordinary shared theatrical experiences that inspire imagination, develop creativity, and build community. NCT was founded in 1931 by the Junior League of Nashville and is recognized as the oldest professional children's theater in the country. A national leader in professional theater arts and education programs for young people, NCT was ranked by TIME magazine as one of the top five children's theaters in the country.

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