When Jules Verne wrote the novel in 1873, new steamships and railroads made it theoretically possible to circle the globe in less than three months. Phileas Fogg wagers that he can actually do it. But when Fogg gets to India and discovers that the railroad isn’t quite finished, he improvises. 

(excerpt from play)

This scene is typical of this fast-paced play, which is an unabashed, wide-eyed tale of adventure, full of unexpected tangents and on-the-spot derring-do. Equally representative is the following scene, in which Fogg negotiates the price of the elephant.

(excerpt from play)

This production is exotic, acrobatic and highly theatrical, with the cast of five playing dozens of characters. They use low-tech props to create illusions of ships at sea and a train crossing North America, whizzing through Rocklin, Auburn and Colfax. If you happened to see last year’s production of the same script at Sacramento’s B Street Theatre, it’s also fun to see how this group makes different choices using the same framework. Foothill Theatre Company’s production of “Around The World In 80 Days” is first class family entertainment. It continues in Nevada City through April 17. Jeff Hudson, KXJZ News.