HISTORY

Rene Risher-Kelly is Maritime Productions Founder, Producer, Playwright, Casting Director, and was the original performer for this critically acclaimed unique entertainment company for travelers since 1993. Rene has also been a writer & voice-over artist on hundreds of television commercials and narrated and written many shows in New York and New England. She has held positions as an advertising and creative executive working for three of the world's largest media/entertainment corporations and a LORT C Theater.

Award-winning Maritime Productions founded in 1993 is an an adventure-driven completely unique professional theatre company and was a highly popular tourist attraction for many years along the New England coast aboard amazing vessels

at sea, historic landmarks and museums.

Maritime Productions first season launched at the highest point on the tip of Cape Cod at one of the most significant American landmarks and landing place of the Pilgrims... the Pilgrim Monument/Provincetown Museum. Surrounded by a magnificent 360' view of the sunset, ocean and Cape Cod bay every night was such a magical outdoor venue it was hard to imagine anything could be better.

The pirate content from the original show our first season in 1994 was so well received it sparked some new ideas. We were doing pirates long before Johnny Depp and all the pirate movies! And thanks to our brilliant historian and world's foremost pirate expert Ken Kinkor , our pirate content was unmatched. Ken was a self proclaimed piratologist that devoted his life to researching the real stories about pirates and what they were really like debunking researchers from the past with the most prominent books from pirate history. Ken and his research were one-of-a-kind and he will always be missed. R.I.P. Ken!

We then decided to take a bold leap and move directly onto the water bringing real adventure into play. We expanded the script into more of a character driven format casting professional character actors and moved the company aboard magnificent power and sailing vessels along the dramatic rocky coastline of Maine.

Our professional theatre cruise was enjoyed by thousands and thousands of passengers in Bar Harbor and Kennebunkport Maine as a full-time seasonal attraction that became so popular it won an award, was listed a one of the top 10 things to do in Maine by the Boston and Canadian press and had a quirky cult following with passengers returning over and over again every year.

Maritime Productions then ventured into deep south Texas in 2006/2007 to build a custom theatre inside another legendary American landmark... The Yacht Club Hotel in Port Isabel, Texas. We produced 4 original one act plays that were a big hit and another unusual, one-of-a-kind experience.

Bringing award-winning unique experiences to travelers by combining professional theatre with adventure in unique environments was a combination that set a new way to immerse oneself while on vacation.

Never imagining the company would grow the way it did and end up winning an award for best theatre was a shock since we were out on the water on a boat without a traditional building! Maritime Productions cult following became an oddity. We never understood why people would return over and over and go to the same show in different locations. We never understood why people were bringing their kids... hey, this was created for adults! Lo and behold, we had much to learn! What we thought was a bit too outlandish or racy for children in 1994 was tame compared to the average Saturday morning cartoon! Always using the most talented seasoned professional actors as well as working with top notch historians and researchers to create the highest caliber adventure possible made us stand out from the rest. Many people tried to imitate what we did successfully for many years and some still do but the quality and professionalism was unmatched and has never been recreated. The rest was history and we became one of the most popular attractions in New England.

The talented and seasoned character actors that have performed in our adventure-driven live shows have been of the highest caliber and we have been proud of every performance from every last one of them. The fun and kooky boat captains, crews, museum directors, hotel owners, historians, authors, researchers and of course all the audience members and passengers that purchased tickets certainly made this one glorious ride! They are memories that have made life rich beyond what we ever imagined. Thank you, thank you, thank you.