Pittsburgh Public Theater Around the World in 80 Days Page 1

Transcription

Pittsburgh Public Theater’s Education and Outreach programs are generously supported by the BNY Mellon
Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Additional support for all youth education programs has been
provided by The Grable Foundation and OfficeMax.
Pittsburgh Public Theater
Around the World in 80 Days
Page 1
Contents
Cast and Characters
3
Synopsis
4
Jules Verne’s Magical World
5
Was Jules Verne Prophetic?
8
Life in the 1870s
13
The World of “Steampunk”
17
Meet the Cast
20
Meet the Director
23
About the Playwright
24
Theater Etiquette
25
PA Academic Standards
26
Sources
27
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Characters
For 4 men, 1 woman, playing multiple roles
Tom Beckett:
Gauthier Ralph, British Consul, Director of Police, Priest, Sir
Francis, Judge Obadiah, Chinese Broker, Ship Clerk, Bunsby,
Proctor, Engineer, Mudge, Clerk, Speedy, Ship Engineer, Train
Clerk
Ron Bohmer:
Phileas Fogg
Jeffrey Kuhn:
Passepartout
Meera Rohit Kumbhani:
James Forster, John Sullivan, Newspaperman, Priest, Aouda
Richard B. Watson
Andrew Stuart, Detective Fix, Priest, U.S. and Indian
Conductors, Elephant Owner, Young Parsi, Oysterpuff, Reverend
Wilson’s Servant
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Synopsis
Phileas Fogg is the model of a punctual, efficient English gentleman. So
when he enlists a new manservant—the former circus performer Jean
Passepartout—and then takes a bet to do the impossible, it is no wonder English
society is shocked. Phileas Fogg promises that he will travel around the world in
just 80 days . . . and in the world of 1872, that is no easy feat.
Phileas Fogg and Passepartout set off around the globe where they
encounter countless obstacles and one exotic situation after another. Can Phileas
Fogg circumnavigate the globe in time to win his bet? Are there larger issues at
stake? Who is the intrepid, quiet man who would undertake such a crazy
challenge, and what does he have to hide?
The story unfolds as Fogg and Passepartout’s crazy adventure takes them
through the jungles of India, where they find excitement beyond their
expectations, across the Pacific Ocean, and into the wild west of the United
States. And all the while, they encounter not just the danger of travelling in
foreign parts, but also the meddling of a singularly persistent detective, and the
constant tick-tick-ticking of the clock.

Did you know?
Around the World in 80 Days is based on a true story. In
1870, a US Railroad magnate named George Francis Train
declared that he would travel around the world in 80 days
or less. It actually took him about twice that long, but he
tried twice more and finally, in 1890, he did it in 67 days.

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Jules Verne’s Magical World
Jules Verne: the Frenchman whose imagination
brought the world stories about everything from hot air
balloons, to space ships, to submarines. For over a century
his writing has captivated people, inspiring hundreds of film
adaptations, graphic novels, TV shows, video games and
collectibles. Verne himself remains a fascinating character,
with over twenty biographies written through the years.
Now, with the world of steampunk on the rise, Verne’s
imagination is just as alive as ever. Who was this fantastic
storyteller, and why are his books still captivating our
imaginations?
Early Years
Jules Verne was born in 1828 in Nantes, France. His father intended that Jules follow in
his footsteps as an attorney and sent him to Paris to study law. But the young Verne fell in love
with literature, especially theatre. He wrote several plays, worked as secretary of the Thétre
Lyrique (1852–54), and published short stories and scientific essays in the periodical Musée des
familles. In 1857 Verne married and for several years worked
as a broker at the Paris Stock Market. During this period he
continued to write, to do research at the Bibliothque
Nationale (National Library), and to dream of a new kind of
novel—one that would combine scientific fact with adventure
fiction. In September 1862 Verne met Pierre-Jules Hetzel,
who agreed to publish the first of Verne's Voyages
Extraordinaires (“Extraordinary Journeys”)—Cinq semaines en
balloon (1863; Five Weeks in a Balloon). Initially serialized in
Hetzel's Le Magasin d'éducation et de récréation, the novel
became an international best seller, and Hetzel offered Verne
a long-term contract to produce many more works of
“scientific fiction.” Verne subsequently quit his job at the
stock market to become a full-time writer and began what
would prove to be a highly successful author-publisher
A poster from 1889 advertising Jules Verne’s
adventure series
collaboration that lasted for more than 40 years and
resulted in more than 60 works in the popular series
Voyages Extraordinaires.
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The Patron Saint of Science Fiction
Verne's works can be divided into three distinct phases. The first, from 1862 to 1886, might be
termed his positivist period. After his dystopian second novel Paris au XXe sicle (1994; Paris in
the 20th Century) was rejected by Hetzel in 1863, Verne learned his lesson, and for more than
two decades he churned out many successful science-adventure novels, including Voyage au
centre de la terre (1863, expanded 1867; Journey to the Centre of the
Earth), De la terre la lune (1865; From the Earth to the Moon), Autour
de la lune (1870; Trip Around the Moon), Vingt mille lieues sous les mers
(1870; Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea), and Le Tour du
monde en quatre-vingts jours (1873; Around the World in Eighty Days).
During these years Verne settled with his family in Amiens and
made a brief trip to the United States to visit New York City and
Niagara Falls. During this period he also purchased several yachts
and sailed to many European countries, collaborated on theatre
adaptations of several of his novels, and gained both worldwide
fame and a modest fortune.
The Cautionary Thinker
The second phase, from 1886 until his death in 1905, might be
considered Verne's pessimist period. Throughout these years the
ideological tone of his Voyages extraordinaires began to change. Increasingly Verne turned away
from pro-science tales of exploration and discovery in favour of exploring the dangers of
technology wrought by hubris-filled scientists in novels such as Sans dessus dessous (1889; TopsyTurvy), L'le hélice (1895; Floating Island), Face au drapeau (1896; For the Flag), and Matre du
monde (1904; Master of the World). This change of focus also paralleled certain adversities in the
author's personal life: growing problems with his rebellious son, Michel; financial difficulties
that forced him to sell his yacht; the successive deaths of his mother and his mentor Hetzel; and
an attack by a mentally disturbed nephew who shot him in the lower leg, rendering him
partially crippled. When Verne died he left a drawerful of nearly completed manuscripts in his
desk.
The Ongoing Debate
The third and final phase of the Jules Verne story, from 1905 to 1919, might be considered the
Verne fils period, when his posthumous works were published—after being substantially
revamped—by his son, Michel. They include Le Volcan d'or (1906; The Golden Volcano), L'Agence
Thompson and Co. (1907; The Thompson Travel Agency), La Chasse au météore (1908; The Chase of
the Golden Meteor), Le Pilote du Danube (1908; The Danube Pilot), Les Naufragés du Jonathan
(1909; The Survivors of the Jonathan), Le Secret de Wilhelm Storitz (1910; The Secret of Wilhelm
Storitz), Hier et demain (1910; Yesterday and Tomorrow, a collection of short stories), and
L'tonnante aventure de la mission Barsac (1919; The Barsac Mission). Comparing Verne's original
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manuscripts with the versions published after his death, modern researchers discovered that
Michel Verne did much more than merely edit them. In most cases he entirely rewrote them—
among other changes, he recast plots, added fictional characters, and made their style more
melodramatic. Scholarly reaction to these discoveries has been mixed. Some critics condemn
these posthumous works as contaminated; others view them as a legitimate part of the Verne
pre et fils collaboration. The debate continues.
The Verne Legacy
With Michel Verne's death in 1925, the final chapter of Jules Verne's literary legacy was more
or less complete. The following year American publisher Hugo Gernsback used a
representation of Verne's tomb as a logo for his Amazing Stories, the first literary magazine
featuring tales of “scientifiction.” As the term
scientifiction evolved into science fiction, the new genre
began to flourish as never before, and Verne became
universally recognized as its patron saint.
During the 20th century, Verne's works were
translated into more than 140 languages, making him
one of the world's most translated authors. A number
of successful motion pictures were made from Verne
novels, starting in 1916 with 20,000 Leagues Under the
Sea (remade in 1954 by Walt Disney) and including
The Mysterious Island
(1929 and 1961), From
A memorial to Verne in his hometown of Nantes
the Earth to the Moon
(1958), Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959), and, perhaps the
most popular, Around the World in 80 Days (1956).
Verne's influence extends beyond literature and film into the
world of science and technology, where he inspired generations of
scientists, inventors, and explorers. In 1954 the United States
Navy launched the world's first nuclear-powered submarine,
named for Verne's Nautilus. And for more than 130 years,
adventurers such as Nellie Bly (1890), Wiley Post (1933), and
Steve Fossett (2005) have followed in the footsteps of Verne's
fictional hero Phileas Fogg by attempting to circumnavigate the
globe in record-breaking times. Verne and his enduringly popular
Voyages extraordinaires continue to remind us that “What
Jules Verne’s tomb, symbolizing his immortality
one man can imagine, another will someday be able to
achieve.”
By Arthur B. Evans, from Encyclopedia Britannica: http://www.biography.com/people/jules-verne-9517579?page=1
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Was Jules Verne Prophetic?
Some say Jules Verne was prophetic, or at least incredibly accurate in his predictions.
Fascinated as he was by science, he published many books that
predicted inventions that had not been invented yet, but would
be—such as the submarine, which wasn’t invented until 30
years after he wrote “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under
In 1863 Verne wrote a novel about
the Sea.” Verne was also amazingly accurate in “From
Paris in the 20th century which
the Earth to the Moon,” in which he wrote of a rocket
featured glass skyscrapers, high
ship that travels to the moon (over 100 years before
speed trains, calculators and even a
man actually did so). In his book, the ship takes off
worldwide communications network.
from Florida, the launching location of modern day
But since the protagonist of his book
space shuttles, and he correctly described the velocity
couldn’t find happiness and came to a
a spacecraft would need to escape Earth’s gravity. He
tragic end, his publisher refused the
also describes weightlessness and in his book, the
work and it wasn’t discovered until
shuttle lands in the ocean when it returns to Earth.
1989. Verne’s predictions were
Though Verne had many ideas that never came true,
his forward-thinking was impressive. Here are eight
scarily accurate.
Jules Verne inventions that came true:
#1: Electric Submarines
Described in “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,” Verne was fascinated by electricity, which at
the time was nothing more than a lab experiment.
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#2: Newscasts
In an 1889 article, Verne described an alternate to newspapers, in which “reporters, statesmen and
scientists” informed people of the news through conversation.
#3: Solar Sails
In “From the Earth to the Moon,” Verne speculated about light-propelled spacecraft.
Today, his ideas have a name, and are used by NASA.
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#4: Lunar Modules
Verne imagined a capsule that could carry passengers to space in his novel “From the Earth to the
Moon.” Unlike writers such as HG Wells, Verne always grounded his ideas in material reality.
#5: Skywriting
Decades before the first airplane was invented, Verne suggested the use of the sky as an advertising tool,
calling it “atmospheric advertisements.” His only mistake was that he believed it would take until the year
2889 to come about.
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#6: Videoconferencing
Verne described an invention he called the “phonotelephote,” which allowed “the transmission of images
by means of sensitive mirrors connected by wires,”—potentially the first reference to videophone in fiction.
#7: Taser
In “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,” Verne described a gun to deliver a strong electrical jolt.
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#8: Splashdown Spaceship
In “From the Earth to the Moon,” Verne imagined a spacecraft landing in the ocean and floating, just
like this Mercury capsule.
Courtesy of National Geographic, published February 8, 2011
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Life in the 1870s
The world of Phileas Fogg was one of rampant social change, exciting new scientific
discoveries, and shifting cultural norms. Much of this was due to the Industrial Revolution,
which took place from the 18th to 19th centuries, during which predominantly agrarian, rural
societies in Europe and America became industrial
and urban. Prior to the Industrial Revolution,
which began in Britain in the late 1700s,
manufacturing was often done in people’s homes,
using hand tools or basic machines.
Industrialization marked a shift to powered,
special-purpose machinery, factories and mass
production. The iron and textile industries, along
with the development of the steam engine, played
central roles in the Industrial Revolution, which
also saw improved systems of transportation,
communication and banking. Without these
The fortunes made during the Industrial Revolution
advancements, Jules Verne’s hero would never
contributed to the glamour of the “Gilded Age”
have been able to attempt to travel around the
world in just 80 days. Yet while industrialization brought about an increased volume and
variety of manufactured goods and an improved standard of living for some, it also resulted in
often grim employment and living conditions for the poor and working classes.
Britain: Birthplace of the Industrial Revolution
Before the advent of the Industrial Revolution, most people resided
in small, rural communities where their daily existences revolved
around farming. Life for the average person was difficult, as
incomes were meager, and malnourishment and disease were
common. People produced the bulk of their own food, clothing,
furniture and tools. Most manufacturing was done in homes or
small, rural shops, using hand tools or simple machines.
A number of factors contributed to Britain’s role as the birthplace
of the Industrial Revolution. For one, it had great deposits of coal
and iron ore, which proved essential for industrialization.
Additionally, Britain was a politically stable society, as well as the
world’s leading colonial power, which meant its colonies could
serve as a source for raw materials, as well as a
London was just one city which quickly grew
marketplace for manufactured goods. As demand for
overcrowded with the new industrialization
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British goods increased, merchants needed more cost-effective methods of production, which
led to the rise of mechanization and the factory system.
Innovation and Industrialization
The textile industry, in particular, was transformed by industrialization. Before mechanization
and factories, textiles were made mainly in people’s homes (giving rise to the term cottage
industry), with merchants often providing the raw materials and basic equipment, and then
picking up the finished product. Workers set their own schedules under this system, which
proved difficult for merchants to regulate and resulted in numerous inefficiencies. In the 1700s,
a series of innovations led to ever-increasing productivity, while requiring less human energy.
For example, around 1764, Englishman James Hargreaves (1722-1778) invented the spinning
jenny (“jenny” was an early abbreviation of the word “engine”), a machine that enabled an
individual to produce multiple spools of threads simultaneously. By the time of Hargreaves’
death, there were over 20,000 spinning jennys in use across Britain. The spinning jenny was
improved upon by British inventor Samuel Compton’s (1753-1827) spinning mule, as well as
later machines. Another key innovation in textiles, the power loom, which mechanized the
process of weaving cloth, was developed in the 1780s by English inventor Edmund Cartwright
(1743-1823).
Developments in the iron industry also played a central role in the Industrial Revolution. In
the early 18th century, Englishman Abraham Darby (1678-1717) discovered a cheaper, easier
method to produce cast iron, using a coke-fueled (as opposed to charcoal-fired) furnace. In the
1850s, British engineer Henry Bessemer (1813-1898) developed the first inexpensive process
for mass-producing steel. Both iron and steel became essential materials, used to make
everything from appliances, tools and machines, to
ships, buildings and infrastructure.
The steam engine was also integral to
industrialization. In 1712, Englishman Thomas
Newcomen (1664-1729) developed the first practical
steam engine (which was used primarily to pump
water out of mines). By the 1770s, Scottish inventor
James Watt (1736-1819) had improved on
Newcomen’s work, and the steam engine went on to
power machinery, locomotives and ships during the
Industrial Revolution. It was also pretty handy in
getting a traveler on a tight schedule to where he needed to go.
An early locomotive
Transportation and the Industrial Revolution
The transportation industry also underwent significant transformation during the Industrial
Revolution. Before the advent of the steam engine, raw materials and finished goods were
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hauled and distributed via horse-drawn wagons, and by boats along canals and rivers. In the
early 1800s, American Robert Fulton (1765-1815) built the first commercially successful
steamboat, and by the mid-19th century, steamships were carrying freight across the Atlantic.
As steam-powered ships were making their debut, the steam locomotive was also coming into
use. In the early 1800s, British engineer Richard Trevithick (1771-1833) constructed the first
railway steam locomotive. In 1830, England’s Liverpool and Manchester Railway became the
first to offer regular, timetabled passenger services. By 1850, Britain had more than 6,000 miles
of railroad track. Additionally, around 1820,
Scottish engineer John McAdam (1756-1836)
developed a new process for road construction.
His technique, which became known as
macadam, resulted in roads that were smoother,
more durable and less muddy. All these
improvements in travel led to an excitement
about the ease with which people could traverse
the globe—and more and more people were
interested in reading about exotic locations.
With the potential of actually travelling to see
faraway places for themselves, readers were
captivated and inspired by feats of travel such
as those described by Jules Verne.
Communication and Banking in the Industrial
Revolution
An 1872 painting by John Gast depicting the
progress of travel and industry
Communication became easier during the Industrial Revolution with such inventions as the
telegraph. In 1837, two Brits, William Cooke (1806-1879) and Charles Wheatstone (18021875), patented the first commercial electrical telegraph. By 1840, railways were a CookeWheatstone system, and in 1866, a telegraph cable was successfully laid across the Atlantic.
The Industrial Revolution also saw the rise of banks and industrial financiers, as well as a
factory system dependent on owners and managers. A stock exchange was established in
London in the 1770s; the New York Stock Exchange was founded in the early 1790s.
In 1776, Scottish social philosopher Adam Smith (1723-1790), who is regarded as the founder
of modern economics, published “The Wealth of Nations.” In it, Smith promoted an economic
system based on free enterprise, the private ownership of means of production, and lack of
government interference. In 1870, these new improvements were still a novelty and were
changing the lives of those who used them.
Quality of Life during Industrialization
The Industrial Revolution brought about a greater volume and variety of factory-produced
goods and raised the standard of living for many people, particularly for the middle and upper
classes. However, life for the poor and working classes continued to be filled with challenges.
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Wages for those who labored in factories were low and
working conditions could be dangerous and
monotonous. Unskilled workers had little job security
and were easily replaceable. Children were part of the
labor force and often worked long hours and were used
for such highly hazardous tasks as cleaning the
machinery. In the early 1860s, an estimated one-fifth of
the workers in Britain’s textile industry were younger
than 15. Industrialization also meant that some
craftspeople were replaced by machines.
Children became targets of exploitation in the 1800s
Additionally, urban, industrialized areas
were unable to keep pace with the flow of
arriving workers from the countryside,
resulting in inadequate, overcrowded
housing and polluted, unsanitary living
conditions in which disease was rampant.
Conditions for Britain’s working-class began
to gradually improve by the later part of the
19th century, as the government instituted
various labor reforms and workers gained
the right to form trade unions. For Phileas
Fogg, a very wealthy man, these kinds of
cultural changes would have been important,
but not terribly close to home. Though Jules
Verne wrote about the social impact of inventions and
An overcrowded London tenement
scientific discoveries, his readers were more interested in
the pure thrill of his imagination and the adventure of social and scientific advancement. In
Around the World in 80 Days, that is precisely what Verne gave them.
Excerpts taken from History.com, article on The Industrial Revolution
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The World of “Steampunk”
Inspired by writers and thinkers such as Jules Verne and
HG Wells, Steampunk is a genre on the rise. And while the
word in itself conjures up a feeling, and perhaps an idea, it
is tough to nail down exactly what the movement is.
The short answer:
Steampunk is a genre, a design aesthetic, and a philosophy.
Originally, Steampunk was a literary genre that began in
the 1980s and blended science fiction with fantasy and
included social and technological aspects of the 19th
century (such as steam) with some deconstruction and
reimagining of (or rebellion against) parts of it—hence the
“punk.” Yet the genre is poorly defined, and Steampunk can
be any of the following:
Steampunk fashion is concerned with detail,
quality and color
•
Takes place in the Victorian era but includes advanced machines based on 19th century
technology (e.g. The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling);
•
Includes the supernatural (e.g. The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger);
•
Includes the supernatural and foregoes the technology (e.g. The Anubis Gates by Tim
Powers, one of the works that inspired the term ‘Steampunk’);
•
Includes the advanced machines, but takes place later than the Victorian period, thereby
assuming that the predomination by electricity and petroleum never happened (e.g. The
Peshawar Lancers by S. M. Stirling); or
•
Takes place in another world altogether, but features Victorian-like technology (e.g.
Mainspring by Jay Lake).
But Steampunk goes beyond even these diverse literary possibilities. As the movement grows,
people have expanded the aesthetic into other areas of life. There are Steampunk games,
Steampunk graphic novels (such as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), Steampunk movies
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(such as Sherlock Holmes, or The Golden
Compass) and Steampunk TV shows.
There is Steampunk music and
Steampunk performance art.
But it doesn’t stop there. Inspired by the
imaginative gadgets and machines in the
stories,
Steampunk lovers
have taken the
movement one
“It’s sort of Victorianstep further and use
Hollywood jumps on the Steampunk bandwagon with the
Industrial, but with more
the
powerfully
detail-oriented world of Sherlock Holmes
whimsy and fewer
evocative aesthetic
orphans.”
to create a lifestyle. People have found ways to “steampunk” everything
from computers to watches, to cars and
-Caitlin Kittredge
even entire houses. Using brass and copper,
glass and polished wood, engraving and
etching, objects can vary from the look of a
forgotten antique to the shiny, opulent look
of a Victorian gentleman’s club. People have even used the
Steampunk aesthetic as a theme to build weddings around. And of
course, the aesthetic can be used in personal style as well,
incorporating the Victorian look, tweaked to add improved
technological bits and more adventurous styles.


A “Steampunk’d” laptop
A Steampunk themed wedding
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The philosophical side of Steampunk rounds out the discussion of just how complex this genre
can be. Like authors such as Jules Verne who are revered as its founders, the movement has a
definite optimism in the progress of technology, while
tempering it with a respect and longing for the past. Perhaps
those who dedicate themselves to Steampunk believe that the
greatest age was during the period when people believed in the
“Steampunk is what
beauty and progress of the future, and put faith in scientific
happens when Goths
progress without completely losing their belief in magic.
discover brown.”
Critics argue that Steampunk has a fair amount of empire
worship, and that it focuses on the best of the past while
-Jess Nevins
sweeping the bad (such as slavery, child labor and widespread
disease) under the rug. There is legitimacy to these claims.
However, as a purely aesthetic and literary movement,
Steampunk appeals particularly to a young generation that is
trying to find ways to slow down their world and hold onto the details of the past.


Written with excerpts from Steampunk.com
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Meet the Cast
RON BOHMER most recently starred as George in the Repertory
Theatre of St. Louis’ critically acclaimed production of Sunday in the Park
With George directed by Rob Ruggiero. Broadway credits include Father
in the Tony-nominated revival of Ragtime (directed by Marcia Milgrom
Dodge), the title role in The Scarlet Pimpernel (National Broadway
Theatre Awards nomination), Sir Percival Glyde in The Woman in White,
Enjolras in Les Miserables, Fyedka in Fiddler on the Roof, and most
recently, Frid in A Little Night Music. National Tours: the Phantom in
The Phantom of the Opera, Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard (Jefferson Award
nomination), Alex in Aspects of Love (LA Robby Award, Best Actor), and
Coach Bolton in Disney’s High School Musical. Recent regional theater
credits include: Dr. Givings in In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play at the Repertory Theatre of
St. Louis and El Gallo in The Fantasticks at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (Acclaim Award,
Best Actor). Television: “Rescue Me,” “Law & Order SVU,” and “One Life to Live.” As a concert
soloist and recording artist Ron has sung at Radio City Music Hall, Lincoln Center, the
Kennedy Center, with numerous Symphonies and Pops orchestras, and on numerous recordings
(including two solo CDs).
TOM BECKETT has appeared at Pittsburgh Public in Time of My Life
and at City Theatre in The 39 Steps. He has also played on Broadway in
Bobby Boland, Epic Proportions, and The Father (Roundabout), and OffBroadway in The Temperamentals, Communicating Doors, and Travels With
My Aunt (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards). Other theater
work includes productions at Yale Rep, Long Wharf, Hartford Stage,
Arena Stage, The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington DC, Barrington
Stage, the Intiman Theatre, South Coast Rep, and many others,
including five shows at Westport Country Playhouse. On television Mr.
Beckett appeared as Elbridge Gerry in HBO’s “John Adams,” played Mr.
Foley in AMC’s “Remember Wenn” for four years (SAG Award
nomination), and co-starred as George Gershwin in “The Young Indiana
Jones Chronicles.” This is Mr. Beckett’s fifth time working with Marcia
Milgrom Dodge (“Remember Wenn,” the comedy Thumbs!, and two productions of Anything
Goes).
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JEFFREY KUHN has appeared on Broadway in The 39 Steps, as
Zangara in the Tony Award-winning production of Assassins, as Boq in
Wicked, as Sir Bedevere in Monty Python’s Spamalot, and in the original
company of Ragtime. Most recently, he originated the role of Maxwell
in Southern Comfort (CAP21). He has performed at the Stratford
Shakespeare Festival in Love’s Labour’s Lost, Antony and Cleopatra, A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, The Illusion, The Tempest,
Twelfth Night, and Timon of Athens. Other selected theater work
includes Adam in Next Fall (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), The
Pavilion and Dirty Blonde (Cincinnati Playhouse), Romeo and Juliet
(The Shakespeare Theatre), Sea of Tranquility (The Old Globe), The
Fourth Wall (Alliance Theatre), I Am My Own Wife (Stageworks/Hudson), The Story of My Life
(CanStage, Dora Award nomination), Cousin Kevin in The Who’s Tommy, Zazu in the Canadian
premiere company of The Lion King, and Gregor in Nothing Sacred, a role he later reprised for
CBC Television.
MEERA ROHIT KUMBHANI New York City credits include
Richard II (The Pearl, u/s), As You Like It, Twelfth Night (Classic Stage
Company), Yes We Can (Walkerspace), and Phoenician Women (dir.
Karin Coonrod). Film/TV credits include Offliners, “NYC 22,” “The
Late Show.” She holds a BA in Neurobiology from UC Berkeley and an
MFA in Acting from Columbia University.
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RICHARD B. WATSON is very happy to be working again with
Marcia Milgrom Dodge in his debut at Pittsburgh Public Theater. He
was born and raised in Wilmington, NC, and now lives in New York
City. Richard was Henry Higgins with Kate Baldwin in My Fair Lady
at Sacramento Music Circus and Sherlock in Sherlock Holmes & the
West End Horror at the Asolo and Pioneer theaters. He performed
recently Off-Broadway in Venus Flytrap and as John Adams in 1776 at
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. Richard can be seen in PS, I Love
You; “Law & Order CI;” “Delocated;” “Onion Sports Network;” has just
shot Art=(Love)²; and a pilot, “Powerless,” for FX. Most recently,
Richard played George in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Richard is an
inaugural company member at American Stage Theater in St.
Petersburg, FL, where he won the first ever Jeff Norton Award for Best Actor in a Leading
Role. He was awarded his MFA from the Academy for Classical Acting at the George
Washington University/Shakespeare Theatre Company and is a proud union member of
Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.
Page 22
Meet the Director
MARCIA MILGROM DODGE (Director) directed
and choreographed the acclaimed Broadway revival
of Ragtime after its sold-out run at The Kennedy
Center (2010 Tony® Award nomination, two Drama
Desk Award nominations, Astaire Award
nomination, the Helen Hayes Award for
Outstanding Direction). New York productions
include Venus Flytrap by Anthony Dodge (Active
Theater), Seussical (Theatreworks USA, Lortel
Award nomination), Cookin’, Radio Gals, the awardwinning Closer Than Ever, and William Finn’s
Romance in Hard Times (The Public Theater).
Regional: Pittsburgh Public Theater (The World
Goes ’Round, Ain’t Misbehavin’), Reprise Theatre
Company (Cabaret and How To Succeed, two Garland
Awards), many shows at Music Circus, Maltz Jupiter
(Hello, Dolly; Anything Goes, Carbonell Award; Master
Class), Bay Street Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Lyric
Stage, Goodspeed, Huntington, and Arena Stage.
Collaborations: Julie Andrews (Simeon’s Gift), Stephen Sondheim (Merrily We Roll Along
at Arena Stage), Rupert Holmes (Thumbs!), Robert Falls & John Logan (Riverview at the
Goodman Theatre), and Des McAnuff (Elmer Gantry at La Jolla Playhouse). Television:
“Sesame Street” and “Remember WENN.” A published and produced playwright, Marcia’s play,
Sherlock Holmes & The West End Horror, was co-written with her husband Anthony Dodge
(Edgar Award nomination). Upcoming: The Music Man for the Glimmerglass Festival.
Page 23
About the Playwright
MARK BROWN (Playwright) is an award-winning
writer and actor. His plays include Around the World in
80 Days; The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge; China, the Whole
Enchilada; Poe: Deep Into That Darkness Peering (cowritten with Mark Rector); and The Little Prince (cowritten with Paul Kiernan). As an actor he has
appeared on stage, screen and TV and worked with
such people as Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Dick Van
Dyke, Jeff Goldblum, and the Rally Monkey. Mark
lives in New York City with his wife, daughter and
dog, and dreams of living in a chateau in France.
Page 24
Theater Etiquette
Things to Remember when attending the Theater
When you visit the theater you are attending a live performance with actors that are working
right in front of you. This is an exciting experience for you and the actor. However, in order to
have the best performance for both the audience and actors there are some simple rules to
follow. By following these rules, you can ensure that you can be the best audience member you
can be, as well as keep the actors focused on giving their best performance.
1. Turn off all cell phones, beepers, watches etc.
2. Absolutely no text messaging during the performance.
3. Do not take pictures during the performance.
4. Do not eat or drink in the theater.
5. Do not place things on the stage or walk on the stage.
6. Do not leave your seat during the performance unless it is an emergency. If you do
need to leave for an emergency, leave as quietly as possible and know that you might
not be able to get back in until after intermission.
7. Do clap—let the actors know you are enjoying yourself.
8. Do enjoy the show and have fun watching the actors.
9. Do tell other people about your experience and be sure to ask questions and discuss the
performance.
Page 25
PA Academic Standards
READING, WRITING, SPEAKING AND LISTENING
1.1- Students identify, describe, evaluate, and synthesize essential ideas of the text.
1.3- Students analyze and interpret the play based on literary elements (such as meter and
context) and devices, dramatic themes, and the use of language.
1.4- In post-show activities students can compose dramatic scenes where they work to
construct dialogue, develop character, and outline plot.
1.6- Students listen and watch Around the World in 80 Days by Mark Brown, analyze and
synthesize the many elements of theater, and respond to post-show talkbacks and discussions
with Public Theater Staff, teachers, classmates, and students from other school districts.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
3.8- Students will examine and analyze how human ingenuity and industrial resources satisfy
specific human needs and affect the development of dramatics. Students identify and examine
the intellectual and cultural changes of the Industrial Revolution and the positive and negative
impacts of societal and industrial changes.
CIVICS AND GOVERNMENT
5.2- Students will observe and evaluate the differences in the essential rights and
responsibilities of citizens within various systems of government. Students also encounter the
issues of conflict between governmental branches, the effects these conflicts bring about, and
the influence the government has to effect changes in society.
ECONOMICS
6.1- Students will assess the strength of the regional, national and/or international economy
and compare it to the Industrial Revolution period based upon economic indicators.
GEOGRAPHY
7.1- Students relate the geography of England, Europe, Asia and the USA to events in the play.
7.3- Students examine the human characteristics of geography, especially as they relate to
population, demographics, political, economic and cultural characteristics.
HISTORY
8.4- Students assess the political, cultural, ethnic, religious, and philosophical impact of
Industrial Revolution society, the impact of the changing cultural accessibility, and the social
values of Phileas Fogg.
ARTS AND HUMANTITIES
9.1-9.4- Students experience the production and performance techniques of professional
theater. Students consider the cultural and historical context of Around the World in 80 Days. In
post show talkbacks, discussions, and writing assignments students are encouraged to describe
the various elements of life during the Industrial Revolution era, evaluate the play critically and
aesthetically, and consider social impact.
CAREER EDUCATION & WORK
13.1- Students will analyze career options in theater arts based on personal interests, abilities
and aptitudes through post-show talkbacks with the cast and production staff.
Page 26
Sources
Images: http://www.julesverne.ca/
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/02/pictures/110208-jules-verne-googledoodle-183rd-birthday-anniversary/#/jules-verne-inventions-nautilussubmarine_32040_600x450.jpg
http://www.history.com/topics/industrial-revolution
http://www.steampunk.com/what-is-steampunk/
Page 27

Pittsburgh Public Theater Around the World in 80 Days Page 1

Transcription

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