The Purple Victory cast performs “All Hands on Deck”, their College Night 2016 show.
This year, Purple side brought the audience along on an adventure on the high seas. Their 2016 show opened with the ragtag crew of the Fate’s Revenge singing a shanty about the long journey home during “Tides Are Turning.” At the song’s end, First Mate Roger pens a letter to his long distance friend, the barkeep Iris.
Once on land, the Fate crew convenes at the The Brig bar owned and operated by the highly flirtatious Madame. Iris and Roger reconvene, only for the barkeep to badger the pirate about all the adventures he and the Fate’s crew experienced.
The Captain of the Faithful announces that he is ready to become a landlubber after a life of sailing the high seas. He looks to Roger to fill his boots, as does the rest of the crew.
The frightful first mate does not want the role, a sentiment Iris doesn’t understand. She feels as though she is toiling away her days in the landlocked Brig.
Conversely, Roger argues that the pirate’s life is a job, not a dream. The duo belt out their competing viewpoints in “To Be In Your Place.”
In a frustrated outburst, Roger blurts Iris will never be a pirate because she is a girl. Iris becomes irate, telling Roger to shove off as she attempts to find her own crew.
The Fate’s scurvy dogs Rosie and Stern find Iris as she plots. The two bully Iris and command her to return to the Brig to swab the bar. She challenges the two just as Roger returns to the scene.
The first mate attempts to help his friend, only to be pushed back by Rosie. However, the barkeep holds her own and manages to take down both of the goons herself.
The Captain runs in just as Roger stands over the two unconscious crewmen. The Captain interprets Roger as the victor of this fight and compliments his piratical prowess.
Once everyone is gone, Iris sings about her frustrations further. “I’ve got to take a stand/they say I can’t keep up/but I know I can,” she tells the crowd.
With fire in her heart, Iris sneaks aboard Fate’s Revenge buttoned up in a long coat and tri-cornered hat. Despite her disguise, she is immediately identified as an intruder by the crew.
After testy negotiations, the captain tasks her and the high flying duo of Trevon and Devonte to swab the deck. Iris impresses the crew by completing the chore with style as the Fate’s Crew sing about washing away those “Ocean Blues.”
After her show of cleaning craftsmanship, the crew dubs their new member “Jack.” This attention on the new “guy” rustles Roger, and he expresses doubt that Jack will last long as a crewman.
Back at the Brig, Iris struggles to maintain her new double life as a barkeep and pirate. She sees Roger and asks him his thoughts about “Jack.” Still sore after the attention on the ship, Roger accuses Iris of having a thing for Jack.
Iris rebukes this accusation and leaves in a huff. It’s not long before “Jack” strolls into the bar, only to find a pair of ladies giving Roger unwanted attention. She confronts the firstmate, which only further feeds Roger’s jealous suspicion.
The two are soon pressured into a “battle of constitutions” where, rather than brawn, they fight with booze. The prize on the table includes the coveted title of captain.
The Brig fills with the “Drinking Song” as the two rivals suck down swill in fierce competition. Eventually, Roger defaults and sinks into his chair, as the crew yells for their new Captain Jack.
After the contest, a frustrated Madame asks the Captain if he has seen Iris anywhere. The Captain says no but wonders aloud how Iris always seems to go missing whenever Roger is around.
Roger, his spirits adrift, runs into a chipper Iris. She thinks he will be happy now that the pressure of captain is off his shoulders. Roger, however, lambasts Iris for not being there to support him. He fears he’s lost not only the captain’s title, but also his respect.
As Roger leaves Iris, Madame finds her missing barkeep. She offers Iris a familiar tri-cornered hat, which Iris all too willingly takes back, only to realize the jig is up. Madame scolds her employee not for ditching work but for abandoning her sense of self and becoming someone she’s not.
Iris contemplates Madame’s message and sings a reprise of “Take A Stand” as she realizes what truth she must come to terms with.
The crew are ready to set sail under Captain Jack. A reluctant Roger comes by to pick up the last of his things. The Captain confronts him and tells his first mate that he is always welcome aboard the Fate’s Revenge.
Before they set sail, Jack stands up to her new crew and reveals her true identity as Iris. The crew instantly mutinies. Roger comes to aid his former rival, only for the two to face a long drop off the plank.
Suddenly, the original Fate’s Captain calls to the crew to reveal yet another secret: She is also a woman. The crew is crushed at the reveal. She defends Iris for inspiring her to be her true self and says she is even more deserving of captain.
After some reluctance, the crew accepts these new terms, and the whole boat dances to the show’s finale. As the show ends, the characters raise a mighty PV against the tides.
