A few thoughts on ‘Pirate,’ second Las Vegas Fringe Festival

A nasty head cold prevented me from seeing Rainbow Company's "How I Became a Pirate" soon enough for me to review it. So, now that it's closed, I'm left to say just a few words in memoriam.

Melinda Long's celebrated book, along with Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman's adaptation, start the story where I'd imagine kids best like pirates stories to start: on a beach with Mom and Dad and kid (here, Jeremy, played by Joey Miceli), with only kid able to see the pirates.

Jeremy sails away with his newfound friends and learns some of their secrets (you don't ever brush your teeth; you only sleep when you want to; no forks or spoons at mealtime, you just say "down the hatch"). They sing semisongs that have a semi-''Pirates of Penzance" feel. And while some of the villains don't look like ideal mates, don't worry. Jeremy is home before the parents even notice he's gone. But not before we get to see several ingenious set pieces float by, designed by Kris Van Riper.

The highlight of the evening for me was being approached by a woman, Suzanne, who reminded me of a brief chat I had had with her son, Gary Easton. He was 9, sitting on his mother's lap, full of bliss, bouncing up and down to the tunes of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown."

I had asked him if he liked theater, and if he'd ever like to be in a show. He said he was hoping to be in a Rainbow Company production one day. Suzanne told me he had made it into "Pirates." It was fun to watch him onstage, after seeing how much he had enjoyed being an audience member. That's one of the many reasons I appreciate Rainbow. You've got to catch them while they're young, and with all the budget cuts and program eliminations, who's going to do that?

The second annual Las Vegas Fringe Festival, which closed last weekend, was once again amazing for its organizers' ability to keep to a schedule that involved 11 shows playing several times over a two-weekend period. There should be a logistics award for that.

Some of the productions were first-rate, but I got the feeling from talking to those involved that too many felt the Fringe was just an in-between gig. Some were doing two or three other projects at the same time, in several capacities, in addition to their day job. Is it any wonder that so much came off sloppy and ill-conceived? It may be the festival should be taken more seriously by theater groups. This is a chance for some to be seen by audiences who might not see them elsewhere. What a great opportunity for broader exposure! Art is in the details, and it's not likely you can tend to details when you're schlepping between multiple enterprises.

Anthony Del Valle can be reached at vegastheaterchat@aol.com. You can write him c/o Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.