Treasure Island Reimagined: Jane Hawkins and the Pirate's Gold
by Jason Neulander
Sep. 18 - Sep. 20
Veteran theater artist Jason Neulander is launching his newest live theatrical
production, his first since The Intergalactic Nemesis — Treasure Island Reimagined: Jane
Hawkins and the Pirates Gold.
Neulander writes and directs this latest production. It stars Cheyenne Gibbs, Dane Parker, and Neulander
himself. Produced by Chemistry Laboratories and Shaw Entertainment Group, the world premiere will be
presented by Austin Theater Alliance over four performances on September 18, 19 and 20, 2026, at the
State Theater in Austin. It then tours to nineteen venues across the United States, from Anchorage to New
York.
Jane Hawkins is inspired by the granddaddy of all adventure pirate stories, Robert Louis Stevenson’s
Treasure Island, the book that birthed all the great pirate tropes: the one-legged pirate, the talking parrot,
the map with the X on it, ‘yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum,’ ‘shiver my timbers,’ and, of course, the godfather
of pirates himself, Long John Silver.
In this retelling, the protagonist is a girl. Neulander says that while the plot points of the original story
remain the same, the character arc for Jane is quite different than if she were a he.
“Back in the 18th century, a girl couldn’t go on a great adventure. She had no hope, ever, of being captain
of a ship — unless she became a pirate,” he says.
The character of Jane Hawkins is inspired by Neulander’s own daughter Scarlett. The writer/director read
the story to Scarlett when she was nine years old. Ten years later, when he asked her what story she
thought he ought to adapt into his new show, she didn’t hesitate: “Dad, you have to do Treasure Island.”
What makes the show so unique, though, is Neulander’s signature format: the “live-action graphic novel.”
“I stumbled upon this concept accidentally with The Intergalactic Nemesis, but quickly learned there was
nothing else like this out there,” says Neulander.
In the live-action graphic novel format, a small cast of performers creates all the character voices and
Foley sound effects live and in front the audience’s eyes while the story is told visually by projecting the
artwork from an original graphic novel panel by panel without the word balloons on a huge movie screen.
Squire Trelawney LLC • 2318 Canterbury St • Austin TX 78702
www.treasureislandreimagined.comNeulander specifically wanted to get a 1950s horror comic vibe with this new show. A mutual friend
connected him with Johnny Dombrowski, who not only draws in that style, but creates a retro look in
all his work using half-tones, the dot patterns that inspired Roy Lichtenstein.
Dombrowski says, “Comics have always been a huge inspiration in my work. Working in illustration for so
many years, I started to really have a craving to work in comics books again. Then before you know it,
Jason reached out with perfect timing to work on Treasure Island Reimagined.”
Marvel Comics colorist Lee Duhig then came on the project and Dombrowski taught him how to break
down colors into dot patterns of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. More than 185 pages later, the artwork
is ready for both publication and live production.
Music and sound effects are essential components of the live show. With this production, unlike The
Intergalactic Nemesis, Neulander wanted an orchestral score. He hired Austin-based composer Sam
Lipman, who composed and arranged more than 70 individual cues — 35 minutes of orchestral music —
as a cinematic score for the show. In most presentations, the music will be pre-recorded, but because
there is an orchestral score, the show can be performed with a live orchestra.
“When I tell people what I do, they always have two questions: ‘Wow, there are still composers alive?’ and
‘What's your favorite instrument?’,” says Lipman. "I always answer ‘the symphony orchestra.’ It's the
greatest of all human inventions, and I seriously cannot wait for audiences to experience it live for
Treasure Island Reimagined.”
Equally important to the storytelling are the live sound effects. 2026 marks the thirtieth anniversary of
sound and Foley designer Buzz Moran collaborating with Neulander on dozens of film and theater
projects.
From seagulls and the ocean’s waves to the creaking of wood on a schooner, to clashing swords and
gunfire, every sound effect in the show is performed visibly before the audience’s eyes.
“I’m very excited to be working with Jason Neulander again, one of my favorite people, and literally the
person who got me started in sound design,” says Moran. “This show presents a whole new set of
challenges for live sound effects, particularly the ocean and ship sounds.”
A cast of three (Cheyenne Gibbs, Dane Parker, and Jason Neulander) perform the voices of more than two
dozen characters while simultaneously creating the hundreds of sound effects that set the scene and tell
the story.
Moran points out that “training actors to perform the sound effects is another opportunity to do
something we’ve never tried before.”
“I wanted to make something for the kid in everyone with no boring parts,” says Neulander. “Let me know
if we’ve succeeded!”
Written and directed by Jason Neulander
Artwork by Johnny Dombrowski
Coloring by Lee Duhig
Music by Sam Lipman
Foley Sound Design by Buzz Moran
Starring: Cheyenne Gibbs, Dane Parker and Jason Neulander
Treasure Island Reimagined: Jane Hawkins and the Pirate's Gold
by Jason Neulander
Jason Neulander
September 18-20, 2026
State Theatre, Austin
Tickets: https://tickets.austintheatre.org/13799?_ga=2.45977508.1602353744.1780954835-40820628.1780589656
