Around the World in 80 Days 2024
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS
Adapted by Mark Brown from the novel by Jules Verne
Directed by Stacey Greenawalt, assisted by Joy Balencia
Performance dates: April 6, 7, 12, 13, 14
War elephants! Raging typhoons! Runaway trains! Unabashedly slapstick!
Hold onto your seats for the original amazing race! Phileas Fogg has agreed to an outrageous wager that puts his fortune--and his life--at risk. Of course the only rational thing to do is to put his new servant's life at risk, too! So with the resourceful Passepartout, Fogg sets out to circle the globe in an unheard-of 80 days. Can it be done?
It just might be possible if his every step isn't dogged by a tenacious detective who is utterly convinced that Fogg is a robber on the run. Oh wait...
Danger, romance, and comic surprises abound in this whirlwind of a show in which eight actors portray 40+ characters and traverse seven continents by rail, sea, sled, and elephant in Mark Brown's adaptation of one of the greatest adventures of all time.
"Smart enough to make sophisticated adults laugh out loud. And shamelessly silly enough to keep children interested and entertained!" -The New York Times
"High-spirited and cheeky." -New York Daily News
"A trip well worth taking." -New York Post
"Eye-popping … a rollicking voyage." -www.broadwayworld.com
"Witty in the extreme. … A treat to watch." -Los Angeles Times
"Ingeniously adapted … a wildly whacky, unbelievably creative, 90-miles-an-hour, hilarious journey! A ton of fun for all ages." -The Tolucan Times
"High-spirited." "Flat-out hilarious." "Ingenious and imaginative." -Ithaca Times
"Action and hilarity to spare." -Boston Globe
CAST
Passepartout ............................... Levi King
Phileas Fogg ..................... Stephen Buse
John Sullivan,
Detective Fix ........................ Cindy Parks
Aouda ............................... Becca Bilz Davis
Sir Francis,
Judge Obadiah,
and more .................................... Jess Morris
James Forster,
Young Parsi,
and more ............................. Sean Keegan
Newspaper Man,
Ship Clerk,
and more .............................. Sylis Arriaga
Director of Police,
Rev Wilson’s Servant,
and more ..................... Jaleigh Schwarz
Andrew Stuart,
Bunsby,
and more................. Stacey Greenawalt
Assistant Director ............ Joy Balencia
SYLIS ARRIAGA - Newspaper Man, etc.
Acting is one of Sylis' big passions! He not only performs in plays at Lake Whitney Arts, but also does one act play for his school. He has performed in, SLEEPY HOLLOW, TOYS TAKE OVER CHRISTMAS, A ROSE FOR EMILY, and A CHRISTMAS CAROL.
BECCA BILZ DAVIS - Aouda
Becca has been involved with Lake Whitney Arts nearly since the beginning, and has been in many shows for the past 20 years. She will be retiring as an elementary school counselor in China Spring this June. She lives with her husband, Lee (BC) and their cats and dogs.
STEPHEN BUSE - Phileas Fogg
Stephen is a veteran of the LWA stage. He most recently played Marley’s ghost in A CHRISTMAS CAROL and D. Gene Wilburn in FARCE OF NATURE. He looks forward to directing in LWA and would like to thank the LWA board, fellow actors, the directors and technicians for this show. A special thanks to those who encourage him to continue to be involved in LWA productions.
SEAN KEEGAN - Young Parsi, etc.
Sean has appeared on stage since he was four years old in elementary school. He fell in love with acting from a very young age, and has made many friends since joining Whitney's theatre. Some of his favorite roles from LWA include Ichabod Crane in SLEEPY HOLLOW and Kit Sternwood in TWO WITCHES NO WAITING, and multiple roles in A CHRISTMAS CAROL.
LEVI KING - Passepartout
Levi is a stage veteran, having appeared with Granbury Theatre Company, Greater Cleburne Carnegie Players, Plaza Theatre Company, and most recently as Wadsworth in LWA's recent production of CLUE. Some of his favorite roles include Lt. Lenny Archer in KISS AND TELL, Peter Pan in PETER PAN JR, Teen Scrooge in A CHRISTMAS CAROL, newsboy in RAGTIME, and ensemble in LES MISERABLES.
JESS MORRIS - Gauthier Ralph, Sir Francis, etc
Jess is thrilled to be appearing in her third performance with Lake Whitney Arts, appearing most recently as Mrs. Cratchit and Charwoman in A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Jess is incredibly grateful to have this additional opportunity to work with LWA and this amazing cast and crew.
CINDY PARKS - John Sullivan, Detective Fix
Cindy Parks wants to wish LWA a Happy 20th Anniversary. Acting credits include DAVID'S MOTHER, THE MATCHMAKER, THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL, WAIT T UNTIL DARK, THE MIRACLE WORKER, CLUE among others. Directing credits include GREASE, THE DIVINERS, THE ALTO PART, GREATER TUNA, and FARCE OF NATURE. Cindy would like to thank the LWA Board of Directors past and present, casts and crews from the last 20 years, and audience members for making LWA a place where the arts are appreciated and celebrated.
JALEIGH SCHWARZ - Actor 1 (Main Narrator), etc
Jaleigh is excited to be part of another LWA show. She started in LWA’s children’s theater, debuting in CAPTAIN BREE, then ran sound for FARCE OF NATURE and STEEL MAGNOLIAS. She played several roles in last years A CHRISTMAS CAROL.
JOY BALENCIA - Proctor, Assistant Director
Joy is appearing for the second time on the LWA stage. She recently moved to Whitney with her husband. Joy has been active in Theatre for most of her life as both an educator and actor. She feels blessed to have been recognized for her directing of some of her favorite productions, including THE DIVINERS and ELEPHANT'S GRAVEYARD. She is thrilled to be a part of such a welcoming community at LWA.
STACEY GREENAWALT - Andrew Stuart, etc, Director
Stacey has been active in the DFW theatre community for many years as actor, director, costumer, prop designer, scenic painter, and set designer, and has been nominated for two Column Awards. Favorite roles include Lotty Wilton in ENCHANTED APRIL, Miss Hannigan in ANNIE, Ronnette in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, and both Yente and Fruma-Sarah in two different productions of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. Most recently, she stepped in as Shelby in LWA's STEEL MAGNOLIAS earlier this year. When not on stage, Stacey is owner and Chief Egghead at Punk Poultry Media.