Emerald City gives actor a chance as playwright for 'Pirate'

Thirteen years ago, when Alyn Cardarelli formed the Chicago-based children's theater, the Emerald City Theatre Company with his wife, Karen, he thought his contribution would be as an actor.

It was a safe assumption. After he and wife had spent a lot of time back home in Akron acting in local children's theater productions.

But as they put together their first seasons, they soon found there were lots of able and willing actors to perform for them. But they had trouble finding scripts they liked - plays and adaptations of classic children's stories - that succeeded in entertaining young audiences and the adults they took with them to the theater.

So Cardarelli suddenly became the guy who wrote the shows. Thirteen years later, he is the author of 20 plays for children, all of them produced. And he can't think of anything he likes doing more than writing.

His most recent play, an adaptation of Melinda Long's popular children's book, "How I Became a Pirate," opens Monday at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights.

"I love writing directly for the stage,' Cardarelli says, "but I have always liked writing. When I graduated college I tried to find work as a copywriter for an ad agency. That didn't work out but I always tried to find work where I did some writing."

For a while Cardarelli worked in the training department of a company, writing scripts. But Cardarelli's first love had always been theater - that was one of the main reasons he and his wife moved to Chicago in the '90s. And why, when they saw there was an opening for a new children's theater company in Chicago, they put together Emerald City.

Cardarelli's first play for Emerald City was a stage version of the classic holiday Christmas special, "Frosty the Snowman."

"My favorite so far was adapting Rudyard Kipling's 'The Jungle Book,' " Cardarelli says.

Cardarelli's most recent adaptation was "How I Became a Pirate."

"I have been wanting to do a show with pirates in it since our first season," Cardarelli says, "and every year when we plan the new season I put in my vote for a pirate show."

When Long's "How I Became a Pirate" was published five years ago, Cardarelli knew he wanted to pitch adapting it.

"Long is a school teacher in Ohio," Cardarelli, "and her story, plus David Shannon's wonderful illustrations, are a perfect pairing."

Cardarelli pitched the idea of turning this children's book into a play. He got the green light and the company got the rights.

"I started working in January of 2007," Cardarelli says, "and it generally takes me from two to seven drafts to come up with something that is ready to go into rehearsals."

The script then goes through some rewrites once the show is cast and the actors are rehearsing.

Even before "How I Became a Pirate," opened last fall in Chicago, Cardarelli knew they were going to move it to the Metropolis. Emerald City and Metropolis have a long-standing relationship; any show they do in Chicago also will be done a few months later in Arlington Heights.

"It's a great relationship," Cardarelli says, "and it gives me a chance to write a touring version of the show."

The version of "How I Became a Pirate," for example, will be performed at the Metropolis with four actors. The Chicago version had roles for six. Cardarelli says the trick is to come up with a new version of the show that can be put up easily and quickly without losing the richness.

"I like to write shows that first of all delight children," Cardarelli says, " I have found when the kids are delighted, parents feel a vicarious excitement. But I also want to write shows that also entertain adults."

"How I Became a Pirate" opens Monday and runs through June 22 at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell, Arlington Heights. For tickets call (847) 577-2121 or visit the Web site