I had the opportunity to see Andelana at Dukesbay Theater this Sunday. One faithful night in 1899, a 4-masted barque called The Andelana sank to the bottom of Commencement Bay, where it remains to this very day. There were no survivors save for one crewman who sought medical treatment for his tooth. Since that day, rumors have circulated around that ship, creating talks of ghosts and a curse. Tacoma playwright Roger Iverson brings to life the story of the Andelana on the stage of the Dukesbay Theater and was assisted by Director Randy Clark. This production was performed for the first time ever in Tacoma on October 27th at the Dukesbay Theater and produced by Randy and Aya Hasiguchi Clark.
The space of the performance was rather small. But I feel as if the size was perfect for this production. The set dressing was bare bones but worked where it was needed thanks to Set construction done by Hector Juarez and Niclas Olsan. The lighting and sound design, done by Niclas Olson, were perfect and on cue every time. The ambiance of the sea and the ringing of the ship’s bell helped to sell the immersion of being below the deck of a grand ship. The costumes were also really great and brought the characters to life thanks to Jeffery Weaver.
The actors each performed their roles very well. A few stand-out actors included Ejay Amor as Brown, John Dugaw as Capt. Stalling/Hoska, Trevor Owens as Buck and W. Scott Pinkston. One thing that occurred during the performance that I watched was that one of the actors had caught COVID-19 and would not be able to perform his scenes. Luckily, Producer Randy Clark was there to help take their place. And though he had to use cue cards, this person’s performance was just as good as everyone else’s.
The story was told brilliantly through its actors. You could really feel each character’s role and belief in the superstitious. They were all deathly afraid of the curse that befell their ship and the overwhelming fear that something bad would happen to them all. The suspenseful moments were often accompanied by little moments of humor as well. I felt as though the second act had the most serious moments out of the whole play. One moment I loved was when a haunting spooky face swung by audience members.
Overall, Andelana was a wonderful experience to be had. I feel as though people who have lived in Tacoma and want to know more about the history of their little part of the world will find a lot of enjoyment in this performance, but I recommend this performance to an more older and mature audience rather than a younger one.
Andelana, The Dukesbay Theater 508 Sixth Ave. #10 Tacoma, WA 98402 Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Info: or 253-350-7680 Limited Street Parking.