By John Hildreth
Directed by Tony Vezner

 . . . . . . .  About  . . . . . .

   . . . .  Notes  . . .

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   the author      the play  

Director's Corner    Dramaturg

Setting: Around the world

Cast

Phileas Fogg Clark Schirle
Foster Jack Calvert
Jean Passepartout Tim Feeney
Samuel Fallentin David Knezz
Thomas Flanagan George Dempsey
Ralph Gauthier Mark Berry
Andrew Stuart Dennis Hudson
John Sullivan Mark Favoino
Bank Clerk Charles Berglund
Dark Figure Jim Pusztay
Detective Fix Craig Mahlstedt
British Consul (Suez) Charles Berglund
Beggar Woman Beverly Bochenek
Beggar Child Connor Boren
The Standard Beverly Bochenek
Morning Chronicle Susan Maurer
The London Illustrated Charles Berglund
The London Times Jim Pusztay
Captain of the Mongolia Jack Calvert
Sir Francis Dennis Hudson
Dancers: Brittany Barrett, Charles Berglund, Mark Berry, Beverly Bochenek, Mary Clarke, Mark Favoino, Iya Goshchinsky
Puppeteers: Connor Boren, Abbey Denlinger, Alex Manta, Sara Petrolis, Jim Pusztay
Priests: George Dempsey, Alex Manta, Jim Pusztay
Indian Train Engineer Mark Favoino
Parsee Guide Jack Calvert
Evil Rajah Jim Pusztay
Fakirs: Brittany Barrett, Charles Berglund, Iya Goshchinsky
Princess Aouda Linda Lee Metz
Clerk Oysterpuff Mark Berry
Judge Obadiah Charles Berglund
Captain of the Rangoon Jack Calvert
Hong Kong Broker Beverly Bochenek
Hong Kong Clerk Charles Berglund
Opium Addicts Mark Favoino, Carin Klock, Susan Maurer, Jim Pusztay
Walrus Charles Berglund
Caterpillar Abbey Denlinger
Humpty Dumpty Alex Manta
Ace of Spades Connor Boren
Three of Spades Sara Petrolis
Tankadere Master Jack Calvert
Tankadere Sailors Mark Favoino, Jim Pusztay
Carnatic Purser Dennis Hudson
Captain of the General Grant Jack Calvert
British Consul in Yokohama Charles Berglund
French Consul in Yokohama Charles Berglund
Atlanta Constitution Susan Maurer
Des Moines Register George Dempsey
New York Evening Post Connor Boren
Chicago Tribune Beverly Bochenek
San Francisco Examiner Jim Pusztay
Colonel Stamp Proctor David Knezz
American Train Engineer Mark Berry
Buffalo Connor Boren, Abbey Denlinger, Alex Manta, Sara Petrolis, Jim Pusztay
Sioux Indians Conner Boren & Alex Manta
Fort Kearney Captain Mark Favoino
Mudge George Dempsey
Train Conductor (Omaha) Dennis Hudson
Captain Speedy Jack Calvert
Henrietta Engineer Jim Pusztay
Eskimo Newspaper Alex Manta
St.Petersburg Times Iya Goshchinsky
African News Beverly Bochenek
Geography Student Connor Boren
Geography Teacher Beverly Bochenek

Dramaturg's Diary
JULES VERNE AND HIS WORLD
By David Bremer

Jules Verne was born in Nantes, France in 1828, and he died in Amiens in 1905. His last years were spent doing what he loved to do, and that was to write, despite being hampered by failing eyesight. To fulfill the terms of a contract he had signed 40 years before, Verne faithfully turned out two novels per year for an annual salary of $4,000. While this was not an exorbitant sum in the 19th Century, it was generous for the time. Despite the fortune he made for his publisher, he never asked for a raise. His lifetime volume of work totaled 78 novels and anthologies of short stories and novellas, with a dozen works of various sizes published posthumously by his son. This was an impressive body of work for any writer in any era.

During his lifetime, Verne was one of the most popular and widely read authors in the world. Though his original target audience was boys, he became equally popular with adults. So effectively descriptive was his writing style, it was commonly believed that he had actually traveled to the exotic, remote locales featured in his works. In truth, he had been to sea but once in his youth, as a stowaway turned cabin boy. Beyond that, he gathered his material through reading newspapers and researching at the public libraries. So credible were his descriptions that in the case of Captain Nemo's Nautilus in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, there was a group of fervent believers who were convinced that Nautilus was real. Verne's public assurances to the contrary had little effect on their opinion.

He was a product wholly of the 19th Century. This was a period of change, advancement, and discovery unparalleled in human history. For the first time in centuries, life expectancy increased. Marvels of transportation such as railroads and steam navigation were shrinking distances, and the as yet unexplored parts of the world were becoming known. As each new height was reached or old barrier broken, confidence, optimism, and expectation for the future increased.

Verne tapped into this spirit and wrote about things that, while not always immediately realized, were probable, or would soon be possible. Actual events or inventions, and the people who made them possible, excited his imagination. His flying machines were inspired by the work of the German Count Von Zeppelin, the Frenchman Santos-Dumont, and the flying models of the Englishman Hyram Maxim. His submarine was based on an actual submarine built by a Virginia inventor during the Civil War that had been scuttled in Norfolk Harbor before it could be tested. When the submarine was raised in the 1870s, it was discovered to be of an advanced nautical design.
Phileas Fogg was based on Edward Francis Trane, a man considered a world celebrity during the Victorian era, whose real life exploits were chronicled in the world press.

Verne considered himself first and foremost a storyteller. He used science, technology, and geography as mediums in which to compose and set his stories. He once called his work "speculative fiction" and in his later years would dismiss the title of "prophet."

He was also known to have a great deal of kindness toward his reading public, especially children. He would immediately answer any fan mail from children personally. One well-documented occurrence happened in Ramsgate, England at a school reading club. A bearded man appeared at the club and in heavily-accented English announced "Boys, I am M'sieu Verne. I thank you for your invitation. Let us now put some more coal on the fire and tell stories."

Verne had a generous world view. He considered himself a man of peace and saw the new technology as a powerful unifier of mankind. One recurring theme in his works is a small group of people from diverse social, cultural, national, and racial backgrounds working together and achieving success through teamwork, scientific or technological know-how, and simple pluck. His hope for this brave new world in the making was for mankind to find a way of living that was more productive, creative, and lasting without resorting to war.

Verne died at his home in Amiens, France at 3:10 in the afternoon on March 24, 1905. His family was with him, and he was conscious until very near the end. His death was peaceful, and it was said by those present that his brain was the last part of him to fail. As Verne calmly waited for the end, he had close and intimate conversations with each member of his family.

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Cast and Crew

Production Credits

Director
Tony Vezner
Technical Director
Troy Lee Brasuell, Jr.
Stage Manager
Jon Mills
Assistant Stage Managers
Jane Bowers, Stephanie Abramowitz
Choreographer
Joe Savino
Costume Designers
Lori D'Asta, Peggy Carlson, Darla Goudeau
Costume Crew
Barb Barrett, Linda Bugielski, Eileen Crow, Nicole D'Asta, Carol Denlinger, Sharon Feldt, Chris Gavlin, Martha Niles, Carmel Opre, Katie Pecis, Susan Remy, Sandy Sheibley, Ellen Smith, Helen Smith, Jane Stacy, Julie Suarez, Nancy Whitlock, Paige Whitlock
Dramaturg
Dave Bremer
Hospitality Chair
Carol Clarke
Hospitality Crew
Suzanne Anthoney, Kara Anthoney, Madison Boren, Tricia Boren, Brian Centers, Rob Cramer, Bill FitzGerald, Astrid Heymann, Bonnie Hilton, Ann Marie Hultgren, Harry Hultgren, Mike Janke, Karin Kramer, Bill Love, Joyce Love, Ixta Menchaca, Norma Naselli, Arlene Page, P.K. Parker, Katie Pecis, Jan Quinn, Kelsey Quinn, Pat Rafferty, Carolyn Redding, Ginny Richardson, Carol Suda, Connie Sierzputowski, Jane Stacy, Charron Traut, Dick Traut, Gini Welch
Lighting Designers
Cal Turner
Lighting Crew
Susan Deal, Angelee Johns, Sue Kuehnhold, Mike Mallon, Debby Mills,Paul Roach, Noel Smith, Betsy Stiles
Makeup Designer
Amanda Ragan
Makeup Crew
Jan Mahlstedt
Movement and Violence
Scott Illingworth
Projections
Bill Hammack
Properties Designer
David Bremer
Properties Crew
Linda Bremer, Bonnie Hilton, Mike Huth, Roxanne Moreno, Connie Sierzputowski, Marilyn Weiher
Puppet Consultant
David Knezz
Set Designer
Tony Vezner
Set Construction Chair
Mike Huth
Set Construction Crew
Grace Abrahamson ,Mark Hewitt,Pat Huth,
John Otto, Amanda Ragan , Bill Rotz, Noel Smith,Tom Squillo
Set Painting Chair
Sandy Squillo
Set Painting Crew
Bryon Abramowitz, Tricia Boren, Carol Clarke, Mark Cunningham, Tim Feeney,Astrid Heymann, John Mueller, Mary Pavia, Susan Remy, Bill Rotz, Rob Snyder, Betsy Stiles, Alex Walczak, Drew Walczak, Sharon Walczak
Sound Designer
Stephanie Williams
Sound Crew
George Dempsey, Betsy Stiles
Box Office Chair
Mary Ellen Schutt
Box Office Crew
Susan Cardamone, Ruth Cekal, Mary Dempsey, JoAnn Mallon, Jill Neely, Joan Roeder, Patti Roeder, Sandy Squillo, Marilyn Wilson
House Manager Chair
Bill Wilson
House Managers
Susan Cardamone, Mike DeKovic, Joe Delaloye, Jim Dutton, Roland Imes, Bill Rotz, Noel Smith, Denny Wise
Poster Distribution
Kathleen Kusper
Production Coordinator
Karen Holbert
Publicity Chair
Carol Suda
Program Advertising
Cheri Campbell
Program Editor
Bonnie Hilton
Program Crew
Alison Burkhardt, Cheri Campbell