STONY POINT — “Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as told by himself)” by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Margulies is inspired by a story told by Louis de Rougemont, a Victorian Robinson Crusoe who wrote about surviving his being stranded on an island in the Coral Sea and on the Australian outback for 30 years and who returned to England to tell of his ordeals and strange encounters. His written account published in World Wide Magazine in 1899 caused a sensation and made him an instant celebrity.
STONY POINT — “Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as told by himself)” by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Margulies is inspired by a story told by Louis de Rougemont, a Victorian Robinson Crusoe who wrote about surviving his being stranded on an island in the Coral Sea and on the Australian outback for 30 years and who returned to England to tell of his ordeals and strange encounters. His written account published in World Wide Magazine in 1899 caused a sensation and made him an instant celebrity.
Directed by Thomas Caruso, the Penguin Rep production stars Steven Houck as the colorful raconteur who mesmerized his readers with tales of sailing to Australia in search of pearls, witnessing a giant octopus attack a boat, tackling a whirlpool and storms at sea and finally landing on an island where he later encountered shipwrecked aborigines. Houck dramatizes every word with fantastic gestures, demonstrating physical exercises with leaps, cartwheels and handstands, and mimicking what it was like to ride a giant turtle. He invites us to join him in his “temple of the imagination” and describes a spellbinding journey in a tour de force portrayal.
Two actors play out all the scenes Louis weaves onstage with the help of Sarah Lambert’s exotic set design, myriad props by Nicole Greenberg and clever costume changes by Patricia E. Doherty. Edena Hines is Louis’ mother, who reads him travel and adventure stories as a child; then she is Capt. Jensen, who takes him onboard the ship Wonder World and later becomes his Aborigine wife, Yamba, whom he marries in the Outback. She also appears as a society lady, octopus expert, mapmaker, reporter and librarian after Louis returns to London.
David Arkema has even more roles, as a barkeep, aborigine elder and boy, Australian prospector, turtle expert and pickpocket, among others. He is wonderfully believable as Bruno, the dog that rescues and befriends Louis, and as Queen Victoria, who honors Louis for his heroism. He manages to be two or three people in an instant, but he is most lovable in his canine role.
For 90 uninterrupted minutes, Hauck as Louis will have you hanging on his every word. That is what you want from a stage actor’s performance and a production. What was good enough for Queen Victoria should satisfy today’s playgoers with these amazing adventures.