As someone in their early 60s I have to admit that it's been a long time since I read Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure novel Treasure Island about pirates and buried treasure, so when I heard that the Ottawa School of Theatre's all ages class was going to stage their own adaptation of the story I was intrigued.
When I actually saw the play on April 19, my intrigue was replaced by total joy. The cast was nothing short of brilliant. They were funny. They delivered their lines impeccably. And they showed absolutely no fear.
I especially liked the trio of ensemble numbers they performed including "Mermaids" by the Gothard Sisters and "Skull & Bones" by Home Free, both of whom granted their special permission for the songs to be used.
But the star of the show for me was Amanda Putz who played Long Joan Silver. That's right, instead of Long John Silver, they had Long Joan Silver. Shiver me timbers. I'm not sure what Robert Louis would think of that littile switcharoo, but Putz was amazing.
The play was filled with sea creatures, mermaids and, of course, pirates. In fact, there were 50 cast members in total, all of whom had an integral part in the play, which is testament to the job done by director Megan Piercey Monafu who was blessed by the sheer wizardy of Gerry Clement, the man responsible for the design and contruction of the set, including a 20-foot pirate ship made entirely of cardboard. Brilliant.
The play was also aided by the presence of fiddler Mathieu Carrigan who accompanied the musical numbers with reels and jigs that had everyone in the Richcraft Theatre tapping out their own accompaniment with their feet.
Other musical acoompaniment was provided by Tim Edwards, Kyle Noyes, Gemma Noyes and max Turiff.
In the end, Treasure Island was one of the best OST all ages productions that I can remember. Kudos to the entire cast and crew for putting on such a wonderfully entertaining show.
TRIVIA NIGHT from 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday night at the Royal Oak Pub Orléans. Free to play. Prizes for the winning team! The Royal Oak Pub is located at 1981 St. Joseph Blvd. near Jeanne d'Arc. For more info visit 
TRIVIA NIGHT from 6:30 p.m. at the Stray Dog Brewing Company. Exercise your grey matter before it turns to mush over the holidays. Reservations are a must to secure your spot. Send your team name and number of people to info@straydogbrewing.ca. The Stray Dog Brewing Company is located at 501 Lacolle Way in the Taylor Creek Business Park.
VALENTINE'S COMMUNITY SENIORS TEA co-hosted by councillors Matt Luloff and Catherine Kitts from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre-Dame-des-Champs Community Hall, 3659 Navan Rd. Click 
SDBC AND CAPITAL TEASE PRESENT STRUT BURLESQUE presented by the Kin Club of Orléans from 7 p.m. Enjoy an evening of sultry dance, vintage glamour, and tongue-in-cheek humour – all while sipping on our finest. It’s the perfect mix of hops and hotness for a night out you won’t forget. For tickets visit 
FAMILY DAY ALL AGES MUSIC BINGO DANCE presented by the Kin Club of Orléans from 1 pm to 4 pm at the Queenswood Heights Community Centre, 1485 Dufurd Dr.
Tickets are $15 per person and include one bingo card, a bowl of chili and tortilla chips. Proceeds to go to help pay for local community projects. To purchase your tickets in advance go to 
