Adventure Awaits: Corban Theatre’s Around the World in 80 Days Sets Sail on a Journey of Discovery
“What is the virtuous way of traveling from London to London?” For the cast of Corban Theatre’s production of Around the World in 80 Days, an adaptation of the famous Jules Verne novel, the answer is, of course, a globetrotting whirlwind of color, character, and comedy. Frantic as the journey might be, this performance promises more than motion—it holds a still and thoughtful heart at its core
So, what would it take to circle the globe in just 80 days? In an age before planes or automobiles, the task seems impossible. Yet in Corban Theatre’s newest production, this eclectic cast of companions sets out to prove that nothing is impossible with enough daring—and perhaps, a little love. Purchasing a ticket might be the only way to satisfy the answer from the safety of your seat.
Directed by Tamara McGinnis, the play runs November 13–23, with both matinee and evening performances. Adapted for the stage by Michael Hulett, this clever and humorous retelling captures the wonder of travel, the rush of discovery, and the timeless search for meaning.
The story follows Phileas Fogg (Cameron Wenger), a meticulous English gentleman who wagers his fortune that he can circumnavigate the world in exactly 80 days. With his loyal valet, Passepartout (Alakai Faber), and determined fiancée, Amanda (Neleah Watkins), in pursuit, Fogg’s seemingly calculated voyage soon spirals into a whirlwind of globe-spanning adventure—from foggy London to blazing Cairo, uncharted jungles to the Wild West. By foot or by boat, steamer or train, the show brims with inventive stagecraft and lively character work that transports not only its cast of travelers, but the audience as well.
“I feel like I’m never out of character, because we’re always just running around,” says Watkins. “It’s a very fun and frantic pace. As a cast we are able to take that energy and give it to the audience.”
That sense of joyful momentum lies at the heart of McGinnis’s vision. While the play’s brisk humor and sweeping adventure delight, Around the World in 80 Days also carries a deeper reflection on what it means to live well in a world defined by movement.
“It’s obviously not the entirety of Jules Verne’s novel,” McGinnis explains, “but the adaptation takes some of the highlights of the famous journey and focuses on how travel and people change the main character, Phileas Fogg. He begins to recognize that what really defines him is the people he loves and invests in rather than how much money he has or his position in society.”
While the play literally revolves around transportation—steamships, trains, carriages—it also offers a kind of spiritual transportation, carrying the audience toward reflection on what truly matters. We, the audience, like Fogg, might find ourselves challenged and “afraid to live without our clocks, our rules, and the schedules that define us.” In one poignant moment, Amanda reminds Fogg, “Losing isn’t the worst thing in the world. Not if you know how.”
It’s a line that captures much of the play’s heartbeat: a longing for simplicity, presence, and purpose in a culture of constant motion. As an audience, we are challenged to consider what we could stand to gain simply by losing more.
Are we stuck in Fogg’s fog, blinded by a need for constant movement as we scramble for status? Would we too, like Amanda, find ourselves longing to remain in the simple wilds of nature if given the opportunity—a return to Eden of sorts? For Fogg, the journey’s end is not a destination on a map but a rediscovery of love and meaning. As he ultimately declares, “What time is it? It is now. It is always now. That is all the time I want. Time to say I love you. And that is time enough for any man.”
For freshman Noah Whitted, who plays the relentless Inspector Fix, hot on the heels of Phileas Fogg, it is precisely Fogg’s character arc and transformation that gives the story lasting significance. “He’s on a journey of becoming a man,” Whitted says. “At the beginning, he’s living a shallow and sad life, and through the course of the play, he gets to realize what it means to live in the world that he’s actually in, and be with the people that he’s with, and enjoy life and the people around him.”
With inventive staging, vibrant performances, and a script that balances humor and heart, Around the World in 80 Days promises a theatrical voyage for all ages. It’s a story about risk, rediscovery, and the joy of returning home changed. Corban Theatre’s production invites audiences to step aboard and be transported—around the world, yes, but also into the wonder of the present moment.
Performances of Around the World in 80 Days will take place at Corban University’s Psalm Performing Arts Center. Matinee showings are scheduled for November 13 at 10:30 a.m. and November 23 at 2:00 p.m., with evening performances on November 14, 15, 21, and 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Adventure, laughter, and heart await. Don’t miss your chance to travel Around the World in 80 Days without ever leaving your seat.
