review - 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA - TheaterWorks' Youth Works

Jessica Kupillas
Photo by Josiah Duka

highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)

Click here for more information on this production that runs through October 7th.

"The sense of imagination that Jules Verne brought almost 150 years ago to his popular 1870 novel "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" connected with readers who were swept up in the adventure of the story. It also proved inspiring for scientists and intellects who considered the scientific inventions in the book...to be ahead of their time. TheaterWorks' Youth Works presents a new adaptation of the classic novel in a production that is as imaginative and full of wonder as Verne's original story....Kyle Olson has successfully crafted a condensed version of Verne's original novel. The one act, 90-minute play touches upon the major plot points in the book, though with a couple of major changes. The first is that the main character of Captain Nemo is played by a woman, as is most of the crew of the Nautilus. This modern update adds a spirited jolt of female empowerment to the piece. ...the creative aspects for this production are some of the best I've ever seen in a Valley youth production. Michael Armstrong's exquisite set design gives the appearance of a fully fleshed out interior of a submarine with dozens of blinking lights, levers, and gauges along with a periscope, portholes and second story walkway. The simple, but inventive, use of videos screens for two exterior portholes provides richly detailed video elements that give the sense of the ship diving under water or ascending to the water's surface as well glimpses of occasional sea life just outside the ship. Combined with the stellar lighting design by Nathaniel White and Josh Hontz's sound design, which includes realistic sound effects and a musical underscore, this is a realistic and immersive theatrical experience like none I can ever remember. ...Jessica Kupillas is sensational as Nemo. ...With a good cast and an abundance of detailed creative elements that are a feast for the senses, TheaterWorks' Youth Works production of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a memorable, rich and imaginative theatrical experience......... " -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)