Abstract: Adaptations of Verne at the Châtelet left a lasting impression on a whole generation of theater goers. These scientific fairy tales reinvigorate the narrow space of the stage by placing machines, animals, cosmic phenomena, and distant ethnic groups onstage. An attempt is made in this article to show their context, importance, and originality. All the elements exist to make such a realization an intellectually seductive and culturally stimulating event in equal measures.