Grace O'Malley was an Irish pirate. "The Lioness of Brittany," Janne de Clisson, was French. Ching Shih was Chinese. The stories of these three real women and three others are told in Drama of Works' "Blood Red Roses: The Female Pirate Project."

The production takes place at the Waterfront Museum, a 1914 wooden barge docked in Red Hook. The setting is gorgeous; the show waits to begin until sunset, when darkness makes the company's shadow puppets visible against several screens. The Statue of Liberty is visible just beyond the doors, glowing in the harbor.

The ensemble takes turns putting on pirate queen costumes and showcasing each woman's triumphs with clever cutouts of boats and castles and armed men on horses. The conceit is delightful, especially because the barge rocks and rolls gently during the production — you never forget you're on the water. 

Yet the play itself disappoints — there are a few pirates too many. The cast gives us the Readers Digest version of each woman's history instead of the rich detail and drama that might have been possible had they limited themselves to a pirate queen or two. It's a bit too thin and tame to be a satisfying play for adults, with language a bit too salty to be a kid's show.

Even so — it's a good-natured show about pirates. Performed on the water. And it's spring. What's not to like?