YSU cast plays a world of characters in ‘80 Days’

A dialect coach was brought in to help the cast.

the vindicator

YOUNGSTOWN — Five actors will play 39 characters from dozens of countries in Youngstown State University Theater’s season-opening production, “Around the World in 80 Days.”

The comedy, adapted from the Jules Verne novel, will be presented in Spotlight Arena Theater, inside Bliss Hall, Thursday through Oct. 4 and Oct. 9-11.

Set in 1872, stampeding elephants, raging typhoons and runaway trains characterize this slapstick performance.

The story revolves around the main character, Phileas Fogg, who has agreed to an outrageous wager that puts his fortune and his life at risk. With his resourceful servant, Passepartout, Fogg sets out to circle the globe in an unheard-of 80 days. But his every step is dogged by a detective who thinks he’s a robber on the run.

The cast is led by senior musical-theater major David Munnell of Girard as Fogg. The rest of the characters are portrayed by senior theater majors Nathan Beagle of Warren and Zachary Campbell of East Liverpool; junior theater major Randall Brammer of Salem; and freshman electrical engineering major Alexis Gorgacz.

The five actors portray dozens of characters, each with his own special dialect or accent to revealing his nationality.

Paul Meier, an internationally known dialect specialist, was enlisted by YSU Theater as a guest artist in September to work with the actors to perfect their dialects. Meier has been teaching British and American dialects (Yorkshire, Scottish, Cockney, New York, etc.), and foreign language accents for more than 30 years.

He has coached Hollywood stars and is also a voice-over artist (he is the voice of Wal-Mart’s Smiley), and an actor in audio books (Ayn Rand’s “Anthem”).

The cast isn’t the only aspect of the play with multiple duties. The production makes imaginative use of four chairs, two tables and two planks to represent European and American trains, steamships and sailing vessels, a makeshift dogsled and various locales ranging from London to the Suez and on through India, China and the United States as the characters traverse the globe.

For the production, live Foley sound will be created by senior theater major Jonathan Zelezniak of Pittsburgh. Foley sound is the creation of believable sound effects by using everyday objects, vocalizations and even musical instruments that are recorded in a sound studio. The Foley sounds are then synchronized with the filmed images during post-production, along with the dialog, to create the desired effect. The term “Foley artist” is named after Jack Foley, one of the earliest and best-known Hollywood practitioners of the art. A prime example of Foley sound was used in early radio drama by using coconut shells on a table, waxed paper on a hair comb, or a piece of sheet metal to simulate thunder.

The YSU production of “Around the World” will create live the sounds of attacking Indians, wild animals, a raging typhoon, speeding locomotives and exchanges of gunfire and arrows.