What if the most dangerous pirate on the seven seas cared more about proper table manners than actual plunder? Meet Deuteronomy Bimbo, a pirate captain so devoted to the 'dignity' of his profession that he'd rather debate proper nautical etiquette than actually rob anyone. When his crew captures a merchant ship carrying young lovers Robert and Lydia along with her father, the captives discover that Bimbo's reputation for terror is entirely manufactured, he's simply obsessed with maintaining piracy's aristocratic reputation. Booth Tarkington, two-time Pulitzer winner and master of American humor, crafted this farce as a gleeful dismantling of romantic adventure tropes. The play barrels through comedic misunderstandings aboard Bimbo's ship, where the pirate captain's insistence on civility creates chaos more effective than any cutlass. It's a short, fizzing comedy about the gap between image and reality, where the scariest pirate you'll meet is primarily concerned with whether you're using the right fork.
