January 6 – February 8, 2009
INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL BUTLER
Q: In 2006 you directed a production of Around the World in 80 Days for Center Theatre in Walnut Creek. How close is this production to that one?
A: I wanted to bring that exact production to San Jose and Laguna Beach. I had to recast some roles, but I got some key people to come back. I’m really happy with the cast.
Q: Mounting a stage version of Around the World in 80 Days seems nearly impossible. What kinds of challenges did you face with this production?
A: The script does not tell you how to do it. There are a couple of indications where there are oversized props or things fly in. You could say it’s like sketch comedy. The indications in the script are minimal, so you’re left to your own devices. You have to come up with a way to do things. It’s sort of like running a steeple chase that was designed by insane clowns. You never rest, it moves so quickly from one location to another, as well as mode of transport—sometimes several times in one page, which is a wonderful challenge. I love it. I’m constantly devising how to do something. It’s up to the director and actors how mad they want to be.
Q: What inspired this production? Are you a Jules Verne fan that wanted to bring his novel to life on stage?
A: I had not read a lot of Jules Verne, although I had seen some of the sci-fi movies that Hollywood made of Jules Verne stories. My inspiration came from three things. First was the Victorian world of dark paneled wood, laboratories, telescopes—they loved that stuff, it was a part of the whole Victorian era. I was also inspired by the Hollywood movies of the 1950s and 1960s, including Around the World, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Captain Nemo, Mysterious Island. The third thing was the steam-punk aesthetic, the whole idea that steam-punk was directly inspired by Jules Verne. It’s layering on the technology of today with a vision of the past, or retro-futurism, which describes a world in which steam power is still used. It’s a world where people have computers but are still getting around in dirigibles. It’s sort of what would the present be like if this happened but not that. That concept comes directly out of Jules Verne. He is really the grandfather of all of this stuff.
Q: Around the World in 80 Days also has an aura of romance to it. Did that factor into your vision for this production?
A: Jules Verne does add an element of romance, which is one thing that separates steam punk form cyberpunk and other contemporary science fiction. Romance is indeed at the heart of it. In fact, Verne calls his series of books “Extraordinary Voyages,” and that played into devising how we were going to do this production. I like to bring a lot of visual art to what I do. I found inspiration from painting and visual arts, and a lot came from steam punk aesthetic and the 60s pop world.
