For director Jesse Berger, four hundred years go by awfully quickly. Berger sees the turn of the century bringing troubled times: a corrupt government that purports to be infallible; rulers who surround themselves with sycophantic yes-men; high level positions filled according to loyalty and personal favors, while the populace resign themselves to cynicism in the face of an increasingly violent world. For an artist whose latest project is a play published in 1607, Berger spends a lot of time musing on contemporary headlines.

For director Jesse Berger, four hundred years go by awfully quickly. Berger sees the turn of the century bringing troubled times: a corrupt government that purports to be infallible; rulers who surround themselves with sycophantic yes-men; high level positions filled according to loyalty and personal favors, while the populace resign themselves to cynicism in the face of an increasingly violent world.

It’s been a rough year for Captain Clamp. The cabin boy whom he loved is dead—killed inadvertently by his own hand. He’s having heart trouble. To make matters worse, life on the high seas has hit the economic doldrums; in his own words, “plundering fell below first quarter expectations.” Clearly, the piracy bubble of the 1700’s has burst.