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| Clockwise left to right: Jason Kuykendall, Ron Campbell, Michael Gene Sullivan, Tristan Cunningham, Ajna Jai. Photo courtesy Kevin Berne and Theatreworks. |
One of my favorite theatrical traditions is the small-cast
comedy. Beginning with Ludlam’s Mystery
of Irma Vep and popularized with the Broadway adaptation of The 39 Steps, these plays make use of
character actors’ talent and elaborate costumes to portray dozens of parts with
a cast of five or fewer. Mark Brown’s adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days, now playing at Theatreworks, pays
tribute to Jules Verne’s classic adventure tale with a lean group of actors and
a delightfully irreverent script.
Director Robert Kelley understands the secret to good farce:
Bringing the comedy over the top as much as possible without disrupting the
core of the plot. Most of the cast portrays a number of exaggerated characters
apiece, including priests, police, and rugged sea captains. Ron Campbell
shoulders the bulk of these roles, his funniest work done with the cavalier
Colonel Proctor. Unlike other small-cast comedies, there’s a relatively high
number of recurring named characters, making the humor less reliant on
metatheatrics and more on standard farce.
Unflappable main character Phileas Fogg (Jason Kuykendall)
serves as a grounding element to this chaos, with energetic and loyal servant
Passepartout (Tristan Cunningham) bridging the gap between clown and straight
man. Cunningham’s circus experience aids her in the mainly physical work
required of the character, while Kuykendall’s confidence propels the plot
implacably forward. Michael Gene Sullivan’s blustery Detective Fix and Ajna
Jai’s timid-yet-powerful Aouda round out a stellar cast.
One of the unique technical elements of Theatreworks’
production is the use of Cameron Wells as a foley artist. Wells helps express
the numerous international locations of the play through special effects that
don’t obscure the action onstage, and accents the humor of scenes to make them
even funnier. Anachronisms like the Law
and Order gavel sound are scattered throughout the play, not enough to
cloud the original work but sufficient to add a new layer of humor.
Around The World in 80
Days at Theatreworks ties together classic adventure, vaudeville comedy,
and modern metatheatrics in a unique package. No matter how familiar you are
with Jules Verne’s original story, you will find something to appreciate in
this production.
Around The World runs until December 31st.
