From the beginning, the director and I wanted to incorporate the exotic and foreign nature of the Indiana Theatre’s existing architecture into the set. The red walls of the theatre evoke a Victorian sensibility that could easily represent Fogg’s home or even an exotic temple in Bombay. The set echoes the architecture of the theatre, creating a cohesive visual statement. This echo also helps to iris in the playing space, which allows the actor to become the focus on stage as well as addressing the practical concern of multiple scenes in widely varied locations. In the end, the set becomes a magic box of sorts. The many different locations are created with just a few pieces and, most importantly, the audience’s imagination.

Around the World in 80 Days comes from a place of complete imagination and the longing of one who wishes to trade the confines of everyday life for a life of adventure. The original novel by Jules Verne sets the tone for an 1870s on the brink of great discovery. The design team took our notes from the book’s original words and illustrations of what it might be like if you imagined travel around the world at this time; to dream of what India looked like, or China, or Japan or even America in the 19th century. It was a vividly dangerous and yet tempting sight! The clothes reflect a hint of historical accuracy with appropriateness of dress for the “westerners” in bustles and frock coats. For individuals met in foreign lands, the vivid colors, hand-embroidered fabrics, and unique headgear suggest a dreamlike experience which, with further investigation, reveals the truth within each traveler.

Theatrical design is a smaller piece of a bigger puzzle. As designers, we make specific design choices that are intended to assist in the telling of a story to an audience. As a designer, I try and think about how the characters in the play are changed (or not changed) by the themes of the play, and how that might relate to an evolution in the physical environment. In thinking about this production, we are hoping that the audience will be drawn into the magic of seeing a storied sight for the first time. As a lighting designer, I use carefully researched visual images to communicate to the production team what ideas I am trying to express through light. Simply put, my job as a lighting designer is to help the audience “see the play.” I use the qualities of light such as color, texture, and angle to help physically define a space. Like a film camera, I may highlight a specific place onstage to help tell the audience what is important about a scene, and where to look. Lighting design will often subliminally reflect the emotional tone of the scene. In its simplest form, this could be represented by warm, soft light for a comedic or happy scene, and cold, crisp light for a scene that is sad. I also think about what might create the light in the scene. Is it lamp in Fogg’s parlor, the hot crisp desert sun, or silvery blue-green jungle moonlight? If I have done my job correctly, you as an audience member will feel the beauty of the sunset, sense the denseness of the Indian jungle, and be frightened by the fervor of the typhoon. All of these elements should collide to create an enhanced experience for the audience member.

I started with the notion that this play is a piano concerto—sometimes small and intimate, sometimes grand and sweeping. I’ll provide you some musical friends to accompany you along the way: repeated motifs that keep returning to say, “Take my hand, this will be fun!” It is my hope to be the tour guide for your imagination, filling in details of locale that theatrical space and time cannot, but also to enhance the poetry of this story. It’s an adventure tale, but Jules Verne has tucked a romance into the center of it, so expect to hear some longing and lyricism. I hope you enjoy the journey.