Flathead High School theater takes audiences ‘Around the World in 80 Days’
The Flathead High School theater season concludes with two performances of Jules Verne's classic adventure "Around the World in 80 Days." From left to right: Sophie Hebert, Victoria Koski, Connor Adcox, Hadley Dennison, Bethany Nairn, Isabelle Bennett, Ian Lawson Sanderlin, Jax Stebbins-Han and Evelyn Smith.
Flathead High School’s 2022-23 theater season wraps up with the extraordinary adventures of Phileas Fogg in “Around the World in 80 Days.”
This fast-paced play follows Fogg, an English gentleman, as he attempts to prove a risky wager possible — circumnavigating the globe in a mere 80 days. Putting his abundant fortune and even their lives on the line, Fogg and his reluctant, yet resourceful servant, Passepartout, race to beat the clock while hopping on trains, boats, balloon flights and even runaway elephants.
The journey is full of danger, romance and comedic surprises as they encounter colorful local natives as well as seemingly impossible hurdles. Along the way, Fogg’s every step is tailed by a Detective Fix from England law enforcement who thinks he is a robber on the run.
“I hope that the audience would come out of this show feeling as adventurous as this show itself and that it would encourage everyone to take risks and be ambitious just like Phileas Fogg,” student director and FHS senior Ryan Tiet said. “I want them to feel like they should go out and explore what the world has to offer after seeing the journey that Phileas Fogg has gone through.”
“For this show in particular, I took inspiration from shows like ‘Ducktales’ and ‘Doctor Who’ to help emphasize the show’s theme of adventure,” he said.
Written for the stage by Mark Brown based on the classic novel by Jules Verne, the play is presented and produced by International Baccalaureate Acting 4 students. Acting 4 is the highest level of theater class offered at Flathead. From tryouts to the final curtain call, students experience all aspects of theater from the challenging tasks of directing and acting to set design and lighting.
“This class is unlike anything I have experienced,” Tiet said. “The class production process allows for an amazing amount of creative freedom. Acting 4 gives the students an opportunity to choose the play they want to produce and how it should be seen for this is a fully student-led project, unlike previous acting classes. Even though my theater career has been mostly being an actor on stage, I have always wanted to direct and remain behind the scenes as I felt confident that my ideas for a show would prove to be very entertaining to an audience.”
The cast includes Bethany Nairn, Ian Lawson-Sanderlin, Connor Adcox, Victoria Koski, Evelyn Smith, Sophie Hebert, Jax Stebbins-Han, Isabelle Bennett and Hadley Dennison. The technical crew is composed of Kara Ort, Grant Westover, Ali Putzler, Brooklyn Plum, Simon Ort, Ayana Kinsey, Ada Milner, Kennedy Dortch, Ella Anderson, Fallon Maas and Adisen Haag.
Performances start at 6:27 p.m. May 25 and 26 at FHS in the David M. Hashley Theater.
Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for children, students and senior citizens. Tickets may be purchased in the school’s main office, Photo Video Plus and at the door.