December 9, 2011 | Scott Renshaw
Picture books—even classic picture books—don't seem like the kind of source materials that would lend themselves best to theatrical adaptation. It's more than capturing a story; there's a visual vibe and an energy of the illustrations that require careful interpretation.
In 2009 and 2010, Salt Lake Acting Company showed a keen eye for finding family productions—Go, Dog. Go! and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, respectively—that accomplished just that feat. This year, Melinda Long's award-winning 2003 book How I Became a Pirate gets its turn for SLAC's holiday family show, using the 2009 musical interpretation by Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman. It's the tale of Jeremy Jacob, a young boy who leaps at the chance to join the crew of the infamous pirate Braid Beard, but learns that a life of adventure and irresponsibility comes with a few downsides. Indulge your kids—and the kid in you—with rollicking fun this season.
