Future Course

The New England Pirate Company future is bright and on the horizon.

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Captain Donavan Bishop- Founder of The New England Pirate Company

Ahoy there, this is Captain Donavan Bishop( aka Shannon Howard) the founder of The New England Pirate Company, where storytelling, music and adventure come together to create a fully immersive pirate experience.

His journey began on the decks of local pirate festivals, where he trained among fellow performers and discovered not just a love for the craft, but a deeper purpose behind it. Through character, music, and shared experience, he saw how stepping into the world of pirates could bring out confidence, creativity, and connection in people of all ages.

Drawing from his background in entertainment and performance, Donovan set out to build more than just a show - he built a company designed to train others, create opportunities, and bring a living pirate world to communities across New England.

Under his leadership, The New England Pirate Company continue to grow as both an entertainment company and a training ground for the next generation of performers - each one carrying forward the spirit of adventure, wit, and camaraderie that defines a true pirate.

Quartermaster of Character

Valerie(Cookie) Schillawski brings a rich background in immersive performance, storytelling, and theatrical production to The New England Pirate Company. With years of experience in improvisation, live character work, and audience-driven entertainment, she specializes in helping performers step fully into their roles and bring characters to life.

She is the founder of her own improv-based murder mystery troupe, where she has led conception, direction, costuming, and performer training - creating fully immersive experiences from the ground up. Her work also includes training performers for Skaneateles, New York’s Dickens Christmas Street Theatre during it’s early years, as well as involvement in Dickens Christmas in Roanoke, Virginia.

In addition to her performance work, Cookie is an experienced costumer for theatrical productions and a skilled improviser with a background in street theatre and interactive storytelling.

Within the New England Pirate Company, she serves as Quartermaster Character, guiding recruits in improvisation, character development, and the art of staying fully in the world - helping transform new crew members into confident engaging performers.