If you’ve ever come across this column, “skimmed it a couple of times” or even “just looked at the pictures”—things I’ve been told on more than a few occasions—then you know how important a role theatre, and the folks who create it, are to me. In the last issue, I referred to the many theatrical opportunities already taking place on both sides of the river this summer; and when curtains rise, my dog and I take our seats with fingers and paws crossed, hoping to be entertained in a way that only live theatre can provide.

That said, giving credit where credit is due is also really important to me (and the dog), because in the world of theatre, it takes a village. I don’t always have the space to fill the page with who did what and how, but with that in mind, my travels last week took me to the season opener at the Forestburgh Playhouse (FBP) in Sullivan County and Shadowland Stages (SLS) in Ulster, where I was entertained in style, while simultaneously synchronicity reigned supreme.

I do not love writing about shows that have come and gone, because regardless of how much I enjoyed it, when “Elvis has left the building” (look it up!) I feel like my reporting on it is a tease. Still, a now-abandoned village surely deserves recognition sometimes, and never more so than the team behind the FBP production of the Joe Kinosian/Kellen Blair frenetically musical farce “Murder for Two,” which (don’t shoot the messenger!) has already closed. It makes room for their next offering, “The Bridges of Madison County,” which opens this week and runs through July 12.

While “Murder” is cast with but two actors (Ian Lowe and Matthew McGloin), the cast of characters totals 14, 13 of whom are portrayed in dizzying style by McGloin. He is tasked (and mightily succeeds) with bringing men, women and children (all murder suspects) to life in a non-stop revolving door of musical mayhem as a bumbling wanna-be detective (played by funny guy Lowe) attempts to unravel the whodunit.

In the hands of less skillful performers, I think this show could easily flop, but with director Anthony C. Daniel at the helm, these wildly talented actors rise above the somewhat forgettable score and shine like nobody’s business—because they’re just that good—while playing the piano, no less.

Not only that, but Brian Seckfort’s stunning set was gorgeous, Kevin Kress’s lighting sumptuously enhanced every scene and Tony Taylor’s sound design was practically a character in its own right. As for the (often) unsung heroes, Lorelei and Dan Davis (property design) dressed the gorgeous set and production stage manager Courtney Wigderson worked her fingers to the bone making sure that every single light and sound cue (there were hundreds!) were delivered with a precision that can make or break a production. Yep, I’m naming names.

As for synchronicity, it was impossible to ignore when Gidge and I made our way to Ellenville and the SLS frenetic (there’s that word again!) fantastic, and truly inspired production of “Around the World in 80 Days.”

Based on the 1956 classic film written by James Poe, John Farrow and S.J. Perelman and taken from Jules Verne’s adventure novel of the same name, “Around the World” has been superbly, hilariously adapted for the stage by Mark Brown. Like the FBP’s production of “Murder,” it features a small, incredibly talented cast (Emily Bosco, Joel Rainwater, Melody Ladd, Lav Raman and James Taylor Odom), all of whom, with the exception of Odom, portray no fewer than 39 separate, distinct, wildly amusing characters.

Catching both productions back-to-back was a rare treat, as each is so darn wonderful, but I was once again reminded that without skilled designers, directors, technicians and crews, the actors would be on a bare stage, lit by nothing but a bare bulb and likely be bare naked, lest costume designers be left out of the mix.

So in the interest of naming names, I’ll start with the backstage credits, because shout-outs are seriously due. The SLS village behind the scenes of this amazing production is composed of co-directors Brendan Burke and Michael Frederic, who have managed to create a brilliant theatrical experience that delivers on every conceivable level.

The one-act romp around the world is staged by both directors with delightful style and superb panache along with a hefty assist from Dean Mahoney’s spot-on sound design, Jeremy Johnson’s lighting that takes us on the journey, and Chris English’s costume design, which nails it over and over throughout the “80 days.” Peter Johnson’s technical direction is flawless and production stage manager Aidan Countryman delivers the goods, steering the ship, as it were, while the actors romp from continent to continent in an ever-changing kaleidoscope of time and place.

The story revolves around a wager made between protagonist Phileas Fogg and his upper-crust cohorts made in 1872 London, one that revolves around the impossibility of Fogg being capable of circumnavigating the globe in the allotted time. From the instant the five actors hit the stage, controlled, stylized mayhem ensues.

As for the actors, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a better cast. I lost count of how many characters Emily Bosco embodied, but each was uniquely different, each was funnier than the one before, and each had the audience rolling in the aisles each and every time Bosco hit the stage running, limping, or oh, I don’t know… riding an elephant, whilst racing back to England, where the action began.

Matching Bosco’s energy note for note, Joel Rainwater’s wanna-be “Detective Fix” (what are the odds?) is delivered with over-the-top hilarity, but he also careens his way through the story, portraying multiple characters, each distinctly drawn and perfectly executed, synchronistically not unlike Matthew McGloin in Forestburgh’s “Murder.”

When I was a kid seeing the film for the first time, my favorite character was Fogg’s manservant, Passepartout, and might still be, since Melody Ladd’s interpretation of the hapless French sidekick is a tour de force. In true farcical style, Ladd delivers over and over again and had us in the palm of her hand throughout, as the audience roared in approval. I had tears of laughter streaming down my cheeks—no joke.

Not to be outdone, Lav Ramen plays multiple roles as well, but her heart-wrenching, deeply moving portrayal of Aouda serves to remind us of author Verne’s ability to affect his audience and the way his tale-within-a-tale touches on man’s inhumanity to man. As the quietly reserved Indian princess draws out the guarded man-behind-the-curtain in her love interest, Phileas Fogg, the central character of this unblemished production becomes more human, and less analytical, as the story unfolds.

As such, James Taylor Odom delivers a layered, thoughtful, deeply moving, finely tuned, beautifully acted, subtly understated performance that sticks with me days later. Even when simply observing others interacting from the sidelines, Odom’s Phileas Fogg commands the stage. Capable of expressing emotion (or lack thereof) with the arch of a brow, or scowling over missing a train connection on his trip ‘round the world, Odom’s skill shines through repeatedly as he creates a fully realized, incredibly detailed performance worthy of high praise.

Gidget wasn’t my only companion that night at Shadowland Stages—I had a human guest as well, who gasped when she saw me leap to my feet, joining every other audience member in a well-deserved standing ovation as this amazing cast took their final bows. “You never stand,” she said. “You’re a really tough critic, I’m shocked!”

“Never say never,” I shot back over the thunderous applause.

Guided by the more-than-capable hands of this remarkable cast and crew, this production is one for the record books, and will forever hold a place in my theatre-loving heart.

Even though it’s too late to catch the amusing “Murder” mystery in Forestburgh, you still have time to bask in the glow that is “Around the World in 80 Days” and I’m urging you to “run, don’t walk” to Ellenville, NY to see for yourself. And if you see some old guy with a dog laughing till he cries in the audience, don’t be surprised, because I might just go back to relive the magic. It’s really that good, in my humble opinion. Look out world, I’m coming for you and I’m taking notes and naming names.

For more on the season of shows at the Forestburgh Playhouse, go to www.fbplayhouse.org, and to snag seats for “Around the world in 80 Days,” visit www.shadowlandstages.org.