Has bingeing on Taika Watiti’s hit Hulu series Our Flag Means Death piqued your interest in privateering? Veteran writer-performer Thom Mesrobian would be happy to have you join Sharktooth Sam’s motley crew in the Margeson for an hour of tall tales and sea shanty sing-alongs aboard his surprisingly substantial sailing ship set. The son of a feared marauder and part-time wench, Sam seeks to follow in his father’s footsteps before finding his own less-violent path into piracy; his voyage becomes a veiled metaphor for pursuing your passions in life, regardless of the reward.
Be prepared for plenty of audience participation yo-ho-ing along with the pillaging, but pass on the rape and murder because this scalawag would no sooner disrespect a woman than wear white after Labor Day. Mesrobian’s salty original songs are catchy, and he delivers them with a harmonious growl that would do Blackbeard proud. Kids will enjoy the poop deck and booty jokes; parents will appreciate the PG13-rated references that sail over their children’s heads, as well as the more thoughtful moments in Mesrobian’s well-crafted serio-comic script.
Slap on a temporary crossbones tattoo, and swig a mug of grog, because you don’t want to get left on shore when Sharktooth’s schooner takes to the open sea.
Tickets and show info: Be a Pirate!
This article appears in Summer Guide 2022.