THE 39 STEPS Begins At Possum Point Players In June

Possum Point Players will present a cast of four actors portraying dozens of characters telling a story in 31 scenes and showing why “The 39 Steps” has earned seven major awards and eight nominations for major theatre awards.

“The 39 Steps” started as a novel in 1915, became an Alfred Hitchcock film in 1935 and the production of a four-actor stage version of the story was written by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon, and premiered in 1996. 

By that production, the evolution to a comedy was complete. Theatre awards earned internationally include 2007 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy and 2008 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatre Experience.

Comedic it is, unique it is, and it opens at Possum Point Players June 6. Director Braeden Swain encourages all who treasure out-loud laughter and some wide-eyed surprises to join in the audience as he admits he can't make it through a rehearsal without busting out laughing repeatedly.

One actor plays the hero, another actor plays the three women with whom the hero might have romantic entanglements. Two other actors play all other characters in the show, each occasionally playing multiple characters at once. By this stage production, what was long ago a serious spy story has taken a sharp comedic turn.

The cast includes Jordan Kilgore as Richard Hannay, Abbey Ruark as Anabella Schmidt/Margaret and Pamela, Matthew Hatfield as Clown 1 and Devon Spencer Lynch as Clown 2.  The show runs June 6, 7, 8, 13, 14 and 15.

Hannay might be seen as a romantic leading man character type, except in this play, the character seems to have difficulty keeping the leading lady type characters alive and fairly tolerant of him. Pamela is promising, but her propensity for dropping into pond-sized puddles or getting stuck under fence styles is off-putting. But then, they are handcuffed together.

The clowns dodge from character switch to yet another character and then another. They may perform in a stage show or don authority as policemen, then take a turn as landlords of a charming little hotel after pausing to play a few chords on bagpipes.

Swain explains that this award-winning treat is packed with nonstop laughs as his crazy but super talented cast brings more than 30 zany characters home to Possum Hall. There could be a plane crash, there certainly are handcuffs, and, unless it's found, a missing finger, and maybe an untypical ending where most live happily ever after.