Theater Review: Around the World in 80 Days

by Ed Townley of of John Garcia's The Column

Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days stands almost alone in a genre that might be called "retro sci-fi." When it was written in the late 19th century, it was a cutting-edge story celebrating the advances in transportation possible through modern science. Today it's a period piece, enjoyable for its endearing Victorian stuffiness and its rather alarmingly patronizing attitude toward "foreign" peoples and cultures – which would basically be everyone not fortunate enough to be born British.

Never considered a masterwork of literature, Around the World in 80 Days has nonetheless been retold and retooled many times for film and television. And in just the past two seasons, theater companies in Chicago and New York have had great success with two different stage adaptations.

Clearly there's something in the story that continues to hold our collective interest. I think Joseph Campbell's analysis of "the Hero's Journey" helps us see why. The story of a restless hero stepping out of his (or her) personal comfort zone to embark on a journey into danger and darkness, ultimately returning transformed to the spot where the adventures began, appears in many forms and guises in pretty much every culture on the planet. In that circular journey from security into danger and back again we seem to be affirming the power and worth of our own personal stories.

Unfortunately, very little of this – or any – deeper dimension can be found in the superficial stage adaptation of the story that Rover Dramawerks opened this week. Written by the company's Artistic Director, Carol M. Rice, and directed by her husband Jason Rice, this Around the World loses its way early and, despite the best efforts of a plucky cast, never quite recovers.

Part of the problem has to do with the space in which they're working. This is Rover Dramawerks' first production in the Courtyard Theatre of Plano, the former home of Plano Rep until that company folded last season. It's an attractive but strange space, with a fairly intimate seating area smack up against a vast, intimidating stage. This production feels lost in a sea of black curtains and, occasionally, a huge, blank, glaringly lit white scrim. The company never takes advantage of the space – each scene hunkers down fearfully in one small section or another – and so what might have been an asset becomes a liability instead.

I think this new space is going to force Rover Dramawerks to re-think their whole production approach. Creating the sense of warm intimacy they seem to want – and which this production sorely needs – will be a challenging undertaking in this, their new home. A big, empty, under-used stage doesn't do it.

The production itself is all over the map – and not in a way that might be appropriate to its globe-trotting story. (Actually, a real map would have been a very useful backdrop, since trying to figure out where we are at any point simply from listening to the script is a real challenge – especially when the actors are stumbling over key lines and often seem to be pretty confused themselves.) The costumes by Suzi Cranford are realistically Victorian without making any particular statement. The sets are bewilderingly sad. The same drab, two-dimensional flat is used for all of the various ships involved, and another is used for each of the several trains – further compounding the confusion as to where we are. Several key scenes in the home of Phileas Fogg have no scenery or set pieces at all, making it hard to grasp the key point that he is a man of considerable means.

It's not that we need realistic sets – or a real elephant – but we need an overall design attitude. In staging epic stories such as this with limited resources, ingenuity can turn limits into assets by emphasizing the overall absurdity. Are these set pieces deliberately tacky? If so, they need to be executed with more wit and style, and used with more imagination. In the key scene when the intrepid travelers are literally burning down their own boat in their eagerness to generate enough fuel to make it to England, for one example, cast members trundle small pieces of wood onstage, across and then off. They should, instead, be emphasizing the underlying desperation by ripping apart the small platforms being used onstage to suggest the boat.

The staging is jerky, with long empty spaces between scenes, caused by sluggish or haphazard entrances and exits. The cast of ten sometimes seem to be having a high old time, and at other times seem to be struggling mightily. Gary Anderson as Phileas Fogg is appropriately calm and unflappable but – until a last-minute hint of romance – shows no sign that his adventures are changing – or even engaging – him in any significant way. Mike Hathaway is fine as Detective Fix, effectively channeling Chief Inspector Japp from the BBC's "Hercule Poirot" series.

Coby Cathey as the valet Passepartout – the Sancho Panza to this particular Don Quixote – really carries the evening. He's a skilled physical comic and is frequently very funny as he stumbles and schemes his way through an adventure that was never his idea. His plummy French accent takes a while to get used to, and he resorts to shameless mugging a bit too often – OK, maybe a lot too often – but he does his best to keep things moving along. He also allows us to see how the challenges he faces are changing Passepartout for the better. Sasha Truman-McGonnell is regal and charming as Fogg's eventual love interest, and the six other actors play dozens of other characters with varying degrees of enthusiasm and success.

A special note of appreciation to the sound design of Richard Frolich, both before and during the show. The carefully chosen music suggests an overall style that might have pulled the evening together if it had been allowed to inspire other elements of the production.

A note of appreciation, too, to the law firm of Gay, McCall, Isaacks, Gordon & Roberts, P.C., for underwriting the production. In this time of disappearing theater companies and shrinking arts budgets, it's important to appreciate all those who remain supportive. And patronize the advertisers in the program, folks! Every program!

Rover Dramawerks has earned a strong reputation through its earlier productions, and there will be doubtless be more strong work to come. Its stated mission is "to produce lost or forgotten works of well-known authors, revive excellent scripts that have suffered from lack of exposure, and discover unknown gems of the stage." It's a commendable vision. With this Around the World in 80 Days, they've just missed the mark.

Around the World in 80 Days runs through March 21. Purchase tickets online or by calling 972-849-0358.

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