PlayLab Workshops 2000

EIGHTY DAYS

May 3, 6, 7, 2000

Adapted by Mark Brown from the novel by Jules Verne

Theatre unmasked!  Step behind the scenes and take part in the concocting of three new plays.  The Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival presents the third play in its PlayLab Workshop series, Mark Brown's adaptation of "Around the World in Eighty Days," 7 pm Wednesday May 3.  Treated as a work-in-progress, "Eighty Days" will be presented again at 2 pm on Saturday May 6 and Sunday May 7.  All workshops will take place at the Festival's theatre at Orlando-Loch Haven Park, 812 E. Rollins St.  A clever re-telling of the Jules Verne adventure story, the play tells the story of Phileas Fogg, an intrepid and unflappable Victorian gentleman who accepts a wager to travel around the world within eighty days-- an unthinkably short amount of time.  With a naïve but loyal servant, Passepartout, as his companion, Fogg encounters stalking detectives, menacing cannibals, horrific typhoons, and even a train that has the audacity to keep to its schedule.  During his journey, Fogg's character is put to the test, but in the end, he not only wins the bet but gets the girl, too.  Mark Brown's adaptation sets a lively pace from the opening scene, set in a London gentleman's club where the journey is first proposed.  Using innovative narrative techniques, parodies of melodrama, and good old fashioned storytelling, "Eighty Days" is an entertaining evening of new theatre on a classic theme.  Earlier this season, the play received two staged readings, and this spring's workshop will show the effect of extensive re-writes by the playwright.  Professional actors from the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival's repertory company will be taking part in the workshop: Mike Dressel, Steve Lyons, Margi Sharp, and Richard Width.  Guest artist Richard Paul will join the troupe as Fogg's manservant "Passepartout."  Guest director will be Russ Treyz, whose work has been seen on the Festival's mainstage in such productions as "Twelfth Night" and "Henry IV Part One."  In addition, the playwright will be in attendance for the workshop.  The PlayLab Workshop series follows a very successful Readings series, which took place this past Fall and Winter.  As an intermediate step between a reading and a full production, the Workshop series enables playwrights to refine and polish their scripts, in collaboration with the Festival's directors and actors.  Eric Hissom, the Festival's Director of New Play Development, envisions the Workshop series as a laboratory where the volatile ingredients of new play, professional artists, and willing audience all mix together for the first time.  By scheduling three workshops for each new work, Hissom hopes to thoroughly nurture the plays, with an eye towards scheduling them for future Festival seasons on the Mainstage.  Tickets are still available for the "Eighty Days" workshops.  Please call (407) 893 4600 extension 1 for reservations.  Admission prices are $7 for each workshop, or $5 with a used ticket stub from either "Comedy of Errors" or "Love's Labour's Lost."  For further schedule information, please call (407) 893-4600 ext 242.

Adapted by Mark Brown from the novel by Jules Verne

Directed by Russ Treyz
Holly McCall, Stage Manager

Who's Who

Mark Brown, playwright.  Mark is happy to be back at the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival, where he has appeared in "The Compleat Works of Wllm Shakspr (abridged)," "The Curate Shakespeare's As You Like It," "Two Gentlemen of Verona," "Taming of the Shrew," "Othello," and "Julius Caesar."  He also co-wrote "Poe: Deep Into That Darkness Peering" and directed "Henry V" for the Shakespeare Unplugged series.  This past year, Mark could be seen on TV in Ally McBeal, Providence, Diagnosis Murder, and the CBS movie Murder in the Mirror.  Films include Out of Sight, Holy Man, and the soon-to-be-released Why Love Doesn't Work.

Michael Dressel, Actor #1.  Currently appearing in the Spring Repertory season as Merchant #1/Dr. Pinch in "Comedy of Errors," Dull in "Love's Labour's Lost," and Sganarelle in "Renaissance Revels,"  Michael is a graduate of the University of Central Florida's Theatre Performance program.  He served as the Company Manager for the Indoor Season, and also performed as George Bernard Shaw and Queen Victoria in "Gross Indecency: the Three Trials of Oscar Wilde."  Last summer, Michael interned at the Vineyard Playhouse where he performed as Balthazar in "Comedy of Errors" and with the FABULISTS!-- an improv troup for young audiences.  He has participated in the PlayLab readings and is a teacher with the Festival's Education program.

Steve Lyons, Detective Fix.  In his first season with the Festival, Steve is playing Solinus/Courtesan Assistant in "Comedy of Errors," Dumaine in "Love's Labour's Lost," and Musician in "Renaissance Revels."  Steve recently appeared as Gen. George Armstrong Custer in "Custer" at Theatre Seventh Sister and Master Fenton in "Merry Wives of Windsor" at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival.  He has also worked at the Roxy Theatre Company, Pirate Playhouse, Looking Glass Theatre, and Delaware Theatre Company.  At the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, he has played Ludovico in "Othello," Conrade in "Much Ado About Nothing," and Fortinbras in "Hamlet."  Steve holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Allentown College of St. Francis De Sales.  He writes and sings for the band, Bone Colored Dawn. 

Holly McCall, Stage Manager.  Holly is excited to be a part of this new program at the Festival.  Currently appearing as Maid/Lady in "Love's Labour's Lost," past stage management credits with the Festival include "Gross Indecency,"  "Compleat Works of Willm Shakspr, abridged," "Holiday Memories," "Frankenstein: the Modern Prometheus," "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and "Henry IV, part One." 

Richard Paul, Passepartout.  Richard  performs locally at SAK Comedy Lab and with the Second Base Improv Comedy troupe.  This is his second performance with the Festival, reprising the role he took in the PlayLab reading of "Eighty Days."  He thanks the writer, director, stage manager, cast, and his girlfriend for tolerating his nervous fits.

Margi Sharp, Aouda.  In her debut season with the Festival, Margi is appearing as Courtesan in "Comedy of Errors" and Rosaline in "Love's Labour's Lost."  She is a graduate of the Columbia University MFA program and has been living and working in New York City.  Her favorite roles include Bianca in Andrei Serban's "Turning of the Screw," Julia in "Duchess of Malfi" and Ugly Edith in "A Dream Play."  She has appeared regionally with the California Shakespeare Festival and the Hangar Theater in Ithaca, New York.  She is a founding member of Local 116 Theatre Ensemble and the Jamaica Avenue Project in Manhattan.

Russell Treyz, Director.  Russell returns to the Festival, where he directed "Twelfth Night," "Henry IV part One," "Hamlet," "Othello," and "As You Like It."  He recently directed "King John" and "Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Utah Shakespearean Festival; "Much Ado About Nothing" and "Winter's Tale" at the West End Theater, NYC; "1776" and "Greater Tuna" at the Porthouse Theater; "Man of La Mancha" at UCAC, Rahway; and "Midsummer" and "Front Page" at the Merrimack Repertory Theater.  A Drama Desk award winner, he graduated from Princeton University and the Yale School of Drama.

Richard Width, Phileas Fogg.  Now in his fifth season with the Festival, Richard is playing Merchant 2 in "The Comedy of Errors" and Longaville in "Love's Labour's Lost."  Previous roles here include Lord Alfred Douglas in
"Gross Indecency," Macduff in "Macbeth," Duke Orsino in "Twelfth Night," Odd Henderson/HaHa Jones in "Holiday Memories," all in the last two seasons!  Richard has directed "Hamlet," "Macbeth," "The Winter's Tale," "Cymbeline," "The Tempest," and "The Merchant of Venice" for the Festival's Young Company. His film and television credits include  One Life to Live, Guiding Light, Romeo's Flavour, and Multi-Facial.  Richard is the Festival's Education Director.

                                                                 Last Updated: 05/06/2007                    Copyright Orlando Shakespeare Theater