Uncle Pirate

by  Drew Fornarola, Ben H. Winters

Full Length Musical, Comedy  /  3m, 3f

With help from Uncle Pirate and his faithful talking penguin, maybe, just maybe, Wilson can survive the fourth grade. 

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Uncle Pirate

by  Drew Fornarola Ben H. Winters

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Uncle Pirate

  • Cast Size

    Cast Size

    3m, 3f
  • Duration

    Duration

    60 minutes (1 hour)
  • SubGenre

    Subgenre

    Adventure, Theatre for Young Audiences
  • Accolades

    Accolades

    From Off-Broadway
  • Audience

    Target Audience

    • Appropriate for all audiences
    • Young Children (Age 2 - 5)
    • Children (Age 6 - 10)

Additional Info

Wilson is just your average kid. Then one day he finds out his uncle is a pirate... like, a REAL pirate! With help from Uncle Pirate and his faithful talking penguin, maybe, just maybe, Wilson can survive the fourth grade. Grab yer eye patches and pirate hats, mateys! The adventure begins now!

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Reviews

REVIEWS:

"At heart Uncle Pirate proves more of a Boy Scout than a buccaneer, but that won't distress theatergoers under 12, this diverting and often funny musical's ideal audience... Theatergoers at a recent performance particularly enjoyed a classroom duel in which Uncle Pirate bravely wields first a pointer, then a ruler and finally a book. Education, it seems, really is the way to win life's battles." –The New York Times

"There's a talking penguin and plenty of 'arrrs!' for the young'uns, while elementary schoolers and their parents will appreciate the sarcastic dialogue and clever songs... a whimsical adaptation of the eponymous kids book is Jolly Roger fun." –Time Out New York

RELATED ARTICLES ON BREAKING CHARACTER

Focus on a Playwright: Ben H. Winters
June 1, 2010

Keywords

Childhood, Friendship, Parenting/Family

Considerations

Performing Groups

  • Jr High/Primary
  • High School/Secondary
  • College Theatre / Student
  • Community Theatre
  • Dinner Theatre
  • Professional Theatre
  • Shoestring Budget
  • Outdoor
  • Large Stage
  • Blackbox / Second Stage /Fringe Groups

Cautions

  • No Special Cautions

License details

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Production

Details

  • Time Period: Contemporary, Present Day
  • Duration: 60 minutes (1 hour)
  • Setting: Inside Wilson's home; inside and outside of Wilson's Elementary School
  • Additional Features: No intermission, Stage Combat
  • Features / Contains: Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes, Fantasy Costumes

Music

  • Musical Style: Classic Broadway, Pop/Rock
  • Vocal Demands: Moderate
  • Orchestra Size: Piano Only
  • Chorus Size: Small

Song Samples

Done with Fourth Grade
0:00
Uncle Pirate's Story
0:00
I Wanna Read!
0:00
Pirate Lessons
0:00
Carla's Song
0:00
Pirate and Secretary
0:00
Pirate Code
0:00
Not Afraid
0:00

Casting

3m, 3f
WILSON - a nervous eight year-old with glasses. Very smart, very kind, very scared of the world.
UNCLE PIRATE - a tough-talking, barrel-chested, sword-rattlin', sea-garglin' old salt; eye patch optional, heart of gold required
CAPTAIN JACK - a wise-cracking penguin; played by an actor in a penguin suit
WOMAN 1 (Mom, Carla, various pirates and kids) - Mom is the sensible long-suffering mother of Wilson; Carla is a bullying eight year-old with pigtails and a perpetual scowl
WOMAN 2 (Miss Quern, various pirates and kids) - Miss Quern is a secretary who looks and acts like a librarian; prim and proper, hair in a bun, etc.
MAN (Dad, Principal Purvis, Mr. Twissel, various pirates and kids) - Dad is the sensible long-suffering father of Wilson; Principal Purvis is a shifty-eyed middle-aged man whose great love is making life hard for children; later Purvis is revealed to be a pirate; Mr. Twissel is terrified of everything, especially fourth graders
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Cast Attributes

  • Ensemble cast
  • Non-Traditional casting
  • Expandable casting
  • Flexible casting
  • Room for Extras

Resources

Rehearsal Resources

Music Material Rental Packages Glyphs / UI / Tooltip

Full Package

1 Piano Conductor Score
6 Vocal Chorus Books

Scripts

Uncle Pirate

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Authors

Drew Fornarola

Drew Fornarola

Drew Fornarola is a composer, lyricist, and playwright living in New York City. His most recent musical, originally commissioned by the New Musical Development Foundation, is now being developed for stage by DreamWorks Theatricals and for screen by DreamWorks Animation. Other theatrical works include COLLEGE The Musica ...

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Ben H. Winters

Ben H. Winters

Uncle Pirate was first presented by Vital Theater Company at Vital Children's Theater in New York City. The original production opened January 16, 2010 and was directed by Jeremy Dobrish.

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