Next up: Around the World in 80 Days!!

Rehearsing "Around the World in 80 Days"

Began rehearsals last week for this adaptation of the Jules Verne classic, using 5 actors for 30+ characters, “select” costume pieces, a fairly simple flat stage, and a steamer trunk+2 chairs + 2 crates and a short stool. The rest is…MAGIC! and a lot of dialect work, quick changes, sound effects etc and the story comes alive.

We – the cast, designers and marketing team – reviewed the lost or blurred concept of “foreign lands and mysterious people” in an age where I can see anywhere with Google Earth, I can video chat with someone in Africa and the web keeps me updated on the most obscure news from around the world. 80 DAYS reminds us of a time when we truly were clueless about other cultures (and too superior as well), and traveling the globe bordered on insanity and danger.

And not to be left out, the very setup of Mark Brown’s adaptation celebrates Theatre’s ability to tell a rippin’ good story and capture the audience’s imagination, sense of adventure and funny-bone. A gazillion dialects and character changes, leaping from ship to train to elephant to… the people in the seats are in for an Adventure.

BTW, it’s a very fun and funny cast: Ryan Childers, Bill Johns, Andrew Litzky, Nolan Palmer and Alyson Scadron Banner (the sole female in a rowdy cast of guys). I am blessed with a cast that laughs easily and works hard.

More to follow in the coming days!!