The official blog of the Dramaturgy Department at Baltimore's CENTERSTAGE. For posts related to our current and upcoming shows, click the links to the right. Alternatively, you could begin at the beginning, and explore our posts in chronological order.
Last year CENTERSTAGE presented the Lookingglass Theatre adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days (Jules Verne). True to Verne’s original, there was no balloon travel, though there was an exquisitely imagined escape-by-elephant. Now, somewhat belatedly, comes this handy advice on how (or maybe how NOT) to mount and ride a mighty pachyderm.
Phileas Fogg (Philip R. Smith) awakens and emerges in the original Lookingglass production of Around the World in 80 Days…. Just so, he and the rest of the lively characters so vividly brought to life in Laura Eason’s deft, timely adaptation are starting to stir and find new life upstairs in rehearsal. Part import and part new creation, the production had its first rehearsal earlier this week and already is going great guns, full steam ahead, in a race against time to get everything squared away and humming along in time for previews.
(Those who know the story know that Fogg’s hapless first valet here doesn’t stand much chance; his employment is about to come to an end when he brings Fogg tea a few degrees too cool. However, this does open the door, metaphorically speaking, for Passepartout to get hired.)
