Treasure Island Reimagined - Jane Hawkins and the Pirate's Gold

Jason Neulander brings Treasure Island Reimagined to the Paramount and Stateside Theatres on Friday, September 18, for its world premiere. It's a live-action graphic novel adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, and it's the first time this version has been staged.

The story is set in 1754 on the western shores of England. It follows twelve-year-old Jane Hawkins, who works at a seaside inn until a sinister vagabond arrives with a mysterious trunk. From there, it's the adventure you probably know, but told through a specific format: more than 1,200 comic-book panels project onto a huge screen, and three performers provide all the character voices and sound effects live on stage. So you're watching a graphic novel unfold in real time, with the art and the audio happening together.

Neulander wrote and directed the show, and he's the same creator behind The Intergalactic Nemesis, which he describes as a cross-media smash. The rest of the creative team includes art direction and illustration by Johnny Dombrowski, coloring by Lee Duhig, music by Sam Lipman, and sound design by Buzz Moran. The State Theatre is presenting the production, and it's slated to begin touring this fall, so this is the first chance to see it before it hits the road.

Doors open at 6 PM on Friday, September 18, at the Paramount and Stateside Theatres in Austin.