A Tale of Blackbeard
General Information
A Tale of Blackbeard, by Julie Howard, was presented for nine summer seasons between 1974 and 1994. In 2016 & 2019, the show returned to the Ocracoke stage. A dedicated website to the history of A Tale of Blackbeard has been created by Stefen Howard (www.ataleofblackbeard.com). Below is an introduction written by Julie Howard
Acting and music are island traditions, so when my family and I moved to Ocracoke in 1972, it was no surprise to find that skits, plays, and variety shows were a staple of Ocracoke’s winter activities. We joined in the fun, and at a cast party in 1973, our friend Danny Garrish voiced the idea of having a play about Blackbeard which we could perform in the summertime for the entertainment of our seasonal visitors. Blackbeard is likely the island’s most notorious historical figure; the infamous pirate roamed the Atlantic in the early 1700’s and met his demise in Ocracoke Inlet on November 22, 1718. The notion of a pirate play intrigued me, and the following winter I put together a script and fourteen musical numbers for “A Tale of Blackbeard.” The initial cast of 25 played to enthusiastic audiences twice weekly during the summer of 1974 in the old Ocracoke School recreation hall, a former Navy Base building. We followed with a second summer run in 1975, but then our “theater” was moved to make way for the school’s new gym. With no indoor venue, we tried outdoor drama for a year, performing the play in the parking lot of the Community Store. In this era we also formed the non-profit, Ocracoke Players, Inc., and in 1980 we returned to Ocracoke School, performing in the spacious new gym.
The 1980’s saw four summer runs of “Blackbeard;” during the 1990’s we produced two seasons of the show. And then the Players took a long break, giving the play and its actors time to pursue other interests. About four years ago, a groundswell of enthusiasm for reviving local theatrical and musical productions resulted in the formation of Ocracoke Alive, which assumed the old non-profit’s structure, changing the name, but keeping its mission statement to provide artistic, musical, and cultural activities for the benefit and enjoyment of Ocracoke’s residents and visitors.
I am delighted that the revitalized organization has brought back “A Tale of Blackbeard” for the summer of 2014—our fortieth anniversary! Please realize that this production is not historically accurate. There are snatches of truth and facts woven into the play, but it is by and large purely a tale, loosely based on Blackbeard’s 1718 battle with Lt. Robert Maynard and on a real-life Ocracoke boardinghouse, run by islander Euphemia Curtis in the mid-1800’s. All else must be attributed to artistic license.
~Julie Howard
Acting and music are island traditions, so when my family and I moved to Ocracoke in 1972, it was no surprise to find that skits, plays, and variety shows were a staple of Ocracoke’s winter activities. We joined in the fun, and at a cast party in 1973, our friend Danny Garrish voiced the idea of having a play about Blackbeard which we could perform in the summertime for the entertainment of our seasonal visitors. Blackbeard is likely the island’s most notorious historical figure; the infamous pirate roamed the Atlantic in the early 1700’s and met his demise in Ocracoke Inlet on November 22, 1718. The notion of a pirate play intrigued me, and the following winter I put together a script and fourteen musical numbers for “A Tale of Blackbeard.” The initial cast of 25 played to enthusiastic audiences twice weekly during the summer of 1974 in the old Ocracoke School recreation hall, a former Navy Base building. We followed with a second summer run in 1975, but then our “theater” was moved to make way for the school’s new gym. With no indoor venue, we tried outdoor drama for a year, performing the play in the parking lot of the Community Store. In this era we also formed the non-profit, Ocracoke Players, Inc., and in 1980 we returned to Ocracoke School, performing in the spacious new gym.
The 1980’s saw four summer runs of “Blackbeard;” during the 1990’s we produced two seasons of the show. And then the Players took a long break, giving the play and its actors time to pursue other interests. About four years ago, a groundswell of enthusiasm for reviving local theatrical and musical productions resulted in the formation of Ocracoke Alive, which assumed the old non-profit’s structure, changing the name, but keeping its mission statement to provide artistic, musical, and cultural activities for the benefit and enjoyment of Ocracoke’s residents and visitors.
I am delighted that the revitalized organization has brought back “A Tale of Blackbeard” for the summer of 2014—our fortieth anniversary! Please realize that this production is not historically accurate. There are snatches of truth and facts woven into the play, but it is by and large purely a tale, loosely based on Blackbeard’s 1718 battle with Lt. Robert Maynard and on a real-life Ocracoke boardinghouse, run by islander Euphemia Curtis in the mid-1800’s. All else must be attributed to artistic license.
~Julie Howard
A Tale of Blackbeard Staff 2019
Director & Choreographer ~ Desirée Ricker
Music Director ~ Julie Howard
Costumes & Props Manager ~ Debbie Leonard
Artwork ~ Mark Brown
Set Design ~ Steve Smith
Lights ~ George Roberson
Makeup ~ Megan Alderidge
David Tweedie ~ Producer, Ocracoke Alive Executive Director ~ [email protected]
Director & Choreographer ~ Desirée Ricker
Music Director ~ Julie Howard
Costumes & Props Manager ~ Debbie Leonard
Artwork ~ Mark Brown
Set Design ~ Steve Smith
Lights ~ George Roberson
Makeup ~ Megan Alderidge
David Tweedie ~ Producer, Ocracoke Alive Executive Director ~ [email protected]
2019 Cast
Blackbeard: Peyton Piquard
William Howard: Will Adams
Oliver Farthingham: Gary Coye
Victoria Farthingham: Laura Trent
Elizabeth Farthingham: Karen Jordan, Zoe Howard
Katherine: Sally Jordan, Melanie Perez
Richard Evans: Parker Gaskill
Ezekiel the Ship’s Cook: Bill Cole
Helmsman: Kevin Morand
Sailors: John Brodisch II, Russell Stevens, David Tweedie
Cabin Boy: Django Meacham
Miss Euphemia: Katy Mitchell
Marjorie O’Neal, the Boarding House Cook: Kim France
Village Girls: Starr Ely, Tory Kane, Emily Kerben
Whisper Meacham, Milagro Raquel Ortiz
Scullery Maid: Elsie Kattenburg
Blackbeard: Peyton Piquard
William Howard: Will Adams
Oliver Farthingham: Gary Coye
Victoria Farthingham: Laura Trent
Elizabeth Farthingham: Karen Jordan, Zoe Howard
Katherine: Sally Jordan, Melanie Perez
Richard Evans: Parker Gaskill
Ezekiel the Ship’s Cook: Bill Cole
Helmsman: Kevin Morand
Sailors: John Brodisch II, Russell Stevens, David Tweedie
Cabin Boy: Django Meacham
Miss Euphemia: Katy Mitchell
Marjorie O’Neal, the Boarding House Cook: Kim France
Village Girls: Starr Ely, Tory Kane, Emily Kerben
Whisper Meacham, Milagro Raquel Ortiz
Scullery Maid: Elsie Kattenburg