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Regional Reviews: Phoenix The 39 Steps Also see Gil's reviews of The King and I, You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up!, Nana's Naughty Knickers, The Producers, Murder for Two and Lend Me a Tenor
Based on Alfred Hitchcock's 1939 film, which itself was based on the novel of the same name by John Buchan, the theatrical adaptation of The 39 Steps premiered in the UK in 2005 and won the Olivier Award for Best Comedy. It then went on to a two-year Broadway run, followed by an Off-Broadway run and numerous regional theater productions. With a small cast and minimal set requirements it's easy to see why the production has been so successful, since it is relatively inexpensive to produce. The plot of the film, play and novel centers on John Hannay, a man falsely accused of a murder, as he seeks to prove his innocence by fleeing across the English and Scottish countryside. This theme of an innocent man accused who must prove his own innocence is one that Hitchcock revisited many times over his illustrious career, in such films as North by Northwest and Saboteur. While the novel and film are as serious as possible, the stage version is played for laughs and, as mentioned above, one of the ways it achieves this is to have all of the parts played by a very small cast. Since the character of John Hannay is on stage for almost the entire time, the six other actors in this production must play all of the other 100-plus characters in the show. With a perfect balance of manners and charm, Kent Burnham plays Hannay as the perfectly proper English gentleman. While it's mainly a serious role, Burnham adds bits of humor throughout and his use of facial gestures and glances alone elicit chuckles. As the main women Hannay comes in contact with, Melissa Powers changes accents as efficiently as she changes wigs. Her romantic overtones and gestures provide a nice bit of charm and sweetness amongst the humor and intrigue. All of the numerous other parts in the play, except for one, are played by just three people and they are skillfully adept in portraying the vast number of roles. The use of various wigs, mustaches and hats, partnered with their skilled accents, is a theatrical delight, especially in the fast-paced scenes where the cast play multiple parts within seconds of each other. Dialect coach Diane Senffner is to be commended for her expert work. Director Foley adds a superb touch with the addition of Drew Nichols, who not only provides a live piano underscore throughout the show but also skillfully plays with relish the evil professor that Hannay is seeking to find. Nichol's piano accompaniment combines period songs with original music and even a few nods to Hitchcock movie music with a small part of the love theme from Vertigo used effectively in several key moments of the show. Every chase scene and escape from the film, including some on trains and in cars, takes place on stage using a combination of theatrical magic and only a few set pieces. It is amazing how a few chairs and some lighting can come together with your imagination to portray a chase on top of a train. Costume designer Anastasia Schenider has come up with dozens of colorful costumes, hats and other wardrobe pieces to help us easily identify the various characters in the play. Bret Reese's lighting design provides plenty of shadows and light, reminiscent of a suspense film. The 39 Steps is an homage to the master of suspense himself, and any fan of Hitchcock, suspense, comedy, spoof, or theatrical imagination is bound to have a good time with the production. While doubling the supporting cast from three to six means the moments of pure insanity that the original version offered are slightly lessened, it doesn't end up detracting from the end result. And in many ways, especially with the live piano accompaniment, the MET production exceeds the imaginative nature of the original production. The 39 Steps runs at Mesa Encore Theatre through January 25th, 2015, with performances at the Mesa Arts Center at 1 East Main Street in Mesa. Tickets can be ordered by calling (480) 644-6500 or at mesaencoretheatre.com. Director: Brian Foley Cast:
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