Rick Dildine’s ‘Treasure Island’ — Not Just Theatre, a Shared Adventure

Almost a year into his tenure as Children’s Theatre Company artistic director, Rick Dildine is bringing his talents back to the stage as director of “Treasure Island,” seeking a connective experience for children and adults alike.

Growing up in rural Arkansas, the library soothed the wanderlust of a young Rick Dildine, now the artistic director of Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis. In a sense, the shelves of books populated his own treasure island.

Fittingly, Dildine’s stage directorial debut at CTC will be leading their production of the classic pirate tale of the same name, which is showing until Oct. 19 on CTC’s UnitedHealth Group Stage.

“I always set out to make sure that I’m honoring my 8-year-old and my 80-year-old self,” Dildine says of his vision for “Treasure Island.” “My vision is to tell a story that encourages young people not to stay inside, not stay on the device, but go find an adventure.”

Still, Dildine doesn’t underestimate a young audience — he says his storytelling has had to be “even sharper” while preparing the show for them.

“Young people notice everything, and they like cynicism. They are curious individuals,” he says. “I challenge my team to pack as much theatre per square inch as we possibly can into a production. That is because we have an audience who, for the most part, is willing to go on that journey.”

The play, adapted for the stage from Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel, follows Jim Hawkins, a young boy searching with his crew for the buried treasure of one Captain Flint, an infamous pirate. A classic adventure tale, it has influenced contemporary depictions of pirates, complete with peg legs, parrots and treasure maps where “X” marks the spot.

Dildine emphasizes the play’s message for the adults in the audience, too.

“This is a play about a young boy who is looking for mentors,” he says. “He’s trying to figure out what he’s gonna be, what are his values? I think that’s an important message to adults — what are the role models that we are showing for young people today?”

Dildine’s direction celebrates both the literary and real adventures available to kids — the set itself is a boat that meets a library.

The play will also feature live music, with all actors able to play instruments and sing. Dildine calls it “a play with music, not a musical.”

“Treasure Island” is Dildine’s first foray into directing children’s theatre, having directed mostly Shakespeare plays in the past. However, he says the creative transition hasn’t been as difficult as it might seem, praising the Bard’s ability to craft three-dimensional characters, the complex relationships between them and the compelling stories that result.

“The great thing about Shakespeare is that he never wrote about boring moments in people’s lives,” Dildine says. “He wrote about the most important moments of their lives, and I bring that level of vibrancy to everything that I do.”

Dildine’s favorite thing about working with young actors, their boundless imagination, undoubtedly aids him in his pursuit of vibrancy in directing “Treasure Island.” He highlights his experience working with the actors Truman Bednar and Mason Yang, who are splitting the role of Jim Hawkins, in particular.

“What I will take into all future productions is the absolute joy it has been to hear [the actors’] perspectives on this story,” he says. “What I’ve said from the very beginning is, ‘I am most interested in what you think about this character, not what you think that I think, but what you think.’ It has been some of the most insightful, thoughtful, creative conversations I’ve had with these two young performers.”

Ultimately, the wanderlust that drew Dildine as a young queer person to the library and led him to choose “Treasure Island” as his CTC directorial debut is the same feeling that brought him to theatre in the first place. 

“When we put stories on stage, it allows us to not only explore with that character their journey, but we take that in and can explore our own journey,” he says. “As someone who was trying to find myself in rural Arkansas and didn’t see many people like myself, stories were how I got closer to what I believe and who I am.”

Dildine says he hopes queer youth and their families who see “Treasure Island” at CTC come away with similar emotions.

“I tell stories because I want to help people get closer to their truth,” he says.

Dildine’s next directorial pursuit following “Treasure Island” will be “The Wizard of Oz.” It’s hard to think of a better person to take this generation of young people “somewhere over the rainbow.”

Tickets for “Treasure Island” can be purchased at childrenstheatre.org.