This whole situation is a complete misunderstanding, the article didn’t include Susan’s acknowledgment of being inspired by my visual effects and staging style from my stage adaptation of King Kong. I feel terrible that Susan was accused of stealing, which is not true. They’re doing Jules Vern’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, a completely different story line than King Kong. I can also understand why someone might post something challenging the article about her show since her acknowledgment of me and my show was not included in the preview article.

I’ve known Susan for the last couple of years. Her and her students were very interested in the technology and visual techniques I created and I showed them around backstage after the show. I think it’s great that they were inspired to create their own original production from the ground up. Kudos to them for pulling it off. They should be very proud of their accomplishment. Incidentally, my process of staging shows like King Kong I call “staged cinema,” which is why I named my production company Staged Cinema. – Brian Newell

King Kong (2022) @ The Maverick Theater (photo credit: Austin Bauman)

Photo credit: Julia Flores Journey to the Center of the Earth (2025)