Interview with the Director of “Treasure Island”, Dano Colón,

After the opening performance of “Treasure Island”, we checked in with the Director, Dano Colón, to ask him about the show.

Question 1: Why did you want to direct this show?

I had previously appeared in a production of this show and I knew that with the right cast, the rehearsal process would be a very fun and explorative one.

Question 2: How would you describe your vision for this production?

Since this was my first time directing, and by merit of what the play is, I wanted to lean into the imaginative play of the script- my vision for the production was to focus on the joy of the performers in playing the characters and the joy of the audience in watching them, over any kind of technical perfection or naturalism.

Question 3: How has the rehearsal process been for this show? What has been exciting? What has been challenging?

It was fun. I enjoyed collaborating with my cast, bouncing ideas back and forth, exploring. The biggest challenge was fitting the amount of exploration I wanted into the limited amount of rehearsal time, without forgetting to get around to actually creating a polished product.

Question 4: What has been your favorite moment so far?

There were several instances where things just seemed to “come together” largely by accident- recurring jokes that none of us knew we were setting up, payoffs to bits of blocking that weren’t anticipated, etc. I found those moments very satisfying.

Question 5: What should the audience be excited about seeing or experiencing at your show?

The audience is invited to play with the cast in a way that not a lot of scripts really directly engage in- the fun of the play is in sharing this exploration and this game with the characters. It’s not that you’re sitting and watching a play where fun stuff is happening, it’s that you are there in the room with the fun and it’s just as much yours as it is the characters’.

Visit here to learn more about “Treasure Island” and to get your tickets today.