Feature: THE 39 STEPS at The Colonial Theatre Of Rhode Island

If you’re going to or through Rhode Island this summer, you must make a stop at Westerly’s historic Wilcox Park for the Colonial Theatre of Rhode Island.

Primarily known for its outdoor summer Shakespeare Festival, this year The Colonial Theatre of Rhode Island is offering something different. It’s John Buchan’s The 39 Steps, adapted by Patrick Barlow from an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon. The 39 Steps won both the Tony and Drama Desk Awards. It’s a spoof of classic Hitchcock with romance and comedy. It’s always amazing to see members of small casts do wonders when it comes to playing many roles with lickity-split costume and personality changes. Both Actors Equity Association members and serious amateurs will be performing.  James Evans plays Richard Hannay, Julia Moore plays Annabella Schmidt, Pamela, and Margaret, Dan Morrison is Clown 1, and Alex Olson is Clown 2. Marion Markham is the director and management is by Broadway’s Aurora Productions.

The Colonial Theatre of Rhode Island is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit dramatic arts organization in the greater Westerly-Pawcatuck area. Its annual summer Shakespeare in the Park is its gift to the community and welcomes donations to help it offer additional programming throughout the year. Previous shows include As You Like It, The Comedy of Errors, Hamlet, the Scottish play, The Tempest, Twelfth Night, The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). Occasionally, The Colonial Theatre of Rhode Island goes beyond Shakespeare to attract new, younger audiences in addition to their loyal theatergoers. In 2019 they did Samuel Beckett’s tragicomedy Waiting for Godot. Sometimes all you have to do for that is take a modern day playwright’s version of a classic such as David Ives’s The Liar (based on Pierre Corneille’s Le Menteur) and  A Flea in Her Ear, based on Georges Feydeau's farce La Puce à l'oreille.

The 39 Steps plays Wednesdays through Saturdays through August 10. As we all like it, The Colonial Theatre is affordable. In fact, it’s free! But you must make reservations. Then bring a picnic dinner and blanket of folding chair and enjoy.

Also, on August 5 and 6 at 7:00, enjoy Backstage Bards, a new play workshop by Robert Madison. Between the matinee and evening show, four stagehands get the stage ready while reminiscing about playing Shakespeare. You’ll hear everything from “snippets to whole scenes of history, comedy, and tragedy with a few sonnets and limericks tossed into the mix.” Backstage Bards is directed by Marion Markham.

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