Photo: Courtesy of Shawnee Theatre
Cast members Heather Michele Lawler (Pamela, Margaret, Annabella), Eric Paskey (clown 1), and Luke Schares (clown 2), rehearse "on book."
Event Information
The 39 Steps
loving spoof on the classic film
Shawnee Theatre of Greene County
July 28-31, 2011
812 384 3559
The Shawnee Theatre wraps up their 2011 season with Patrick Barlow’s comedy The 39 Steps. It’s based on Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller and it’s another one of those plays that the Shawnee’s artistic director Brandon Bruce says, “I just had to direct.”
“I heard about it from friends and read the reviews. After I got to see a couple of regional theatre productions, I kept thinking about what I’d do with it. I wanted to get my hands on it.”
The Man In The Middle
Actor Andres Enriquez who played Matt, the young man in the middle of Shawnee’s production of The Fantasticks is back in the middle in The 39 Steps. “I play Richard Hannay. He’s a sort of British everyman who gets sucked into a mystery that he only gradually begins to understand. Patrick Barlow’s The 39 Steps has just four actors, but they play about a hundred and fifty roles. I’m the only one who has just one costume.
It might be confusing, but the actors around me are so good that just who they are is always clear. In one memorable scene each of the actors holds three hats and they rapidly switch those hats around as they change roles.”
A Love Letter
Director Bruce notes that although the show is a comedy, it’s not a spoof. “Remember that the original itself does contain some humor as the hero bumbles along. It’s really part of a sort of love letter to the Hitchcock original. Our production does enjoy the energy and excitement of a farce and frankly, it’s very funny.”
