"The 39 Steps" - by Patrick Barlow - Calliope Productions (Boylston, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: Rob Killeen as “Hannay” with Emma MacKenzie as “Annabella” in a scene from "THE 39 STEPS" by Patrick Barlow from Calliope Productions in Boylston, MA. now playing through October 20, 2024. Photo Courtesy Calliope Productions)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
“There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it."
- Alfred Hitchcock
Calliope Productions
Presents Patrick Barlow's
"THE 39 STEPS"
A madcap mystery featuring romance, espionage, mistaken identity, and intrigue set in 1930's England.
Written by Patrick Barlow
Directed by Peter Arsenault
Cast Includes: Rob Killeen as “Hannay,” Emma MacKenzie as “Annabella/Pamela/Margaret,” Lorraine Hruska as “Clown 1,” Neal Martel as “Clown 2”
Additional Creative Team:
Stage Manager - Brian Rossacci; Set Design - Bob Reidy, Neal Martel, Dave Ludt; Lighting Design - John Stoffel; Sound Design - Peter Arsenault; Props - Kim LiPuma, Amy Campbell, Susan Cassidy, Karen Josbacher, Neal Martel, Lisa Pepi; Costumes - Donna Reidy; Wigs - Bethany Arsenault
Performances:
October 10, 2024 through October 20, 2024
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
CALLIOPE THEATRE, 150 Main Street, in Boylston, MA.
TICKETS:
For tickets and more information contact the Box Office at 508-869-6887 or visit https://www.ticketstage.com/T/CALLIOPE
BUY TICKETS
COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.
Calliope Productions has staged a hysterical spoof of Alfred Hitchcock’s film legacy in their latest production, "THE 39 STEPS" and, from the moment the (untorn) curtain opens, the laughs begin immediately.
The two-act farce blends the plot of the 1915 novel by John Buchan with Hitchcock’s film masterpiece.
"THE 39 STEPS" stage adaptation by Patrick Barlow won a Laurence Olivier Award in 2007 for Best New Comedy and was nominated in 2008 for a Tony Award for Best Play.
This unusual version of the tale, especially as staged under the sharp direction of Calliope's Peter Arsenault, has a distinctive dry wit.
With the absurdist approach, the cast of four uses quick takes, minimal sets and lots of props to propel the story forward.
If anything appears to go awry in the show – it is designed in such a way that it proves difficult to verify if the awryness was an actual mishap on stage or if it was in reality something written to appear that way.
One does have to wonder, though:
Since the Hitchcock film catalog is so vast with more iconic movies ripe for spoofing such as “Psycho,” “Torn Curtain” or “Vertigo," why did writer Patrick Barlow choose to adapt the relatively innocuous story of "39 STEPS?"
Part of the answer may lie in that "THE 39 STEPS" (as a spoof) is constructed in such a way that it allows for, and makes good use of, a multitude of classic Hitchcock film references which should prove memorable enough to amuse even the less fervent of Hitchcock fans.
The show is a rampant homage to many vintage “whodunits” which leave every character on stage under "suspicion"* (and some characters so crazy they should be held in restraints).
(*Editor’s Note: Be warned, Hitchcock fans – there’s going to be a lot of these references.)
(Photo: Rob Killeen as “Hannay” with Emma MacKenzie as “Annabella” in a scene from "THE 39 STEPS" by Patrick Barlow from Calliope Productions in Boylston, MA. now playing through October 20, 2024. Photo Courtesy Calliope Productions)
As the Calliope Productions staging begins, it is 1935 pre-World War II England and Richard Hannay (Rob Killeen) is the protagonist of the story.
Hannay is a suave, world weary 37(-ish?) year-old English gentleman with an "attractive pencil-thin mustache."
Remember that last part above as it comes up a lot – in fact, far too many times.
Killeen has a solid grasp of the character’s unique charm and wit and, while an English accent has been omitted, it never detracts from his portrayal.
After taking in a West End show, the unsuspecting Hannay “suddenly” finds himself at the end of his “rope.”
Either he is a man who “knows too much” or very little.
Either way, though, Hannay is the “wrong man” at the wrong place and wrong time, ultimately finding himself a fugitive on the run from the British authorities for the murder of a woman involved with foreign espionage (a “secret agent” if you will).
(Photo: Rob Killeen as “Hannay” with Emma MacKenzie as “Margaret” in a scene from "THE 39 STEPS" by Patrick Barlow from Calliope Productions in Boylston, MA. now playing through October 20, 2024. Photo Courtesy Calliope Productions)
Emma MacKenzie is splendidly diverse in Barlow’s wonderful tribute to Hitchcock’s leading ladies.
MacKenzie portrays three separate characters including two women in the show's first act who each become involved with Hannay.
First, MacKenzie is the intriguing and seductive "Annabella Schmidt," the above-mentioned counter espionage agent/victim.
Later, MacKenzie returns as "Margaret," a young, lonely Scottish wife who helps fugitive Hannay to escape out of (surprise) a “rear window.”
MacKenzie’s final character is the show’s heroine, "Pamela," a traveler who encounters Hannay as "strangers on a train."
Pamela subsequently turns Hannay in to the British authorities, only to find herself later handcuffed to Hannay as he escapes and takes her on the run with him.
MacKenzie impresses most in the approach taken to make each character distinctive not only in appearance but in the dialects and mannerisms chosen for each.
Hannay’s clever - albeit casual - demeanor conveyed throughout the play is disarming thanks to Killeen's dedicated approach.
As Hannay, Killeen charms us, then lures us in, taking us along on this adventure which, given all the "frenzied" plot twists and theatrical hijinks along the way, ensure this comedy is, "without a doubt," NOT for “the birds.”*
(*Editor’s Note: Not too many more, I promise. Of course, I could be lying.)
(Photo: Rob Killeen as “Hannay” with Emma MacKenzie as “Pamela” in a scene from "THE 39 STEPS" by Patrick Barlow from Calliope Productions in Boylston, MA. now playing through October 20, 2024. Photo Courtesy Calliope Productions)
While Hannay professes his innocence to Pamela, of more concern to Pamela is not knowing if the man she is handcuffed to is guilty and on the run from the law or, perhaps, is innocent and running from (or toward) something far more sinister.
This is where the story by Barlow truly succeeds - with the "linking" (literally and metaphorically) of Hannay and Pamela with actors Killeen and MacKenzie making it work exceptionally well.
One minor drawback to the Barlow script, though, is that it does not allow nearly enough time for this relationship to truly evolve.
So, while chemistry is there, thanks mostly to MacKenzie and Killeen, the romance proves less "spellbinding" and more like a forced, clumsy and completely arbitrary hazard.
With the many forced, clumsy and completely arbitrary hazards Hannay endures throughout the play, though, it is not all that surprising a romance would also occur in the same vein.
(Photo: Neal Martel as “Clown 2” with Rob Killeen as “Hannay” in a scene from "THE 39 STEPS" by Patrick Barlow from Calliope Productions in Boylston, MA. now playing through October 20, 2024. Photo Courtesy Calliope Productions)
Actors Lorraine Hruska as “Clown 1” and Neal Martel as “Clown 2” are a whirlwind comedic team, working brilliantly together.
The duo of Clowns, as constructed in the Barlow text and under the detailed guidance of director Arsenault, serve as theatrical clowns, assuming many characters.
Hruska and Martel share in the portrayal of multiple roles: living or dead, animated or inanimate, "saboteurs" and "sabotaged," all while using multiple U.K. accents, adeptly handling the relentless multi-tasking.
The Calliope Productions’ blackbox style theatre space is the perfect venue for the many moments in "39 STEPS" of bobbing and weaving, shifting left and right, running "north by northwest," through a multitude of fast-paced exchanges with expert precision.
There is also a solid camaraderie among the four performers which is evident from their impeccable comedic timing.
It is not such an easy task to take something so intrinsically silly and make it look intentional.
The remarkably clever use of a scrim and specialized lighting to showcase Hannay’s odyssey from London to Scotland is probably one of the funniest moments in the show.
(Photo: Lorraine Hruska as “Clown 1” in a scene from "THE 39 STEPS" by Patrick Barlow from Calliope Productions in Boylston, MA. now playing through October 20, 2024. Photo Courtesy Calliope Productions)
A seemingly endless execution (poor choice of wording perhaps when discussing Hitchcock) of sound cues, costumes, props, lighting and visual effects are expertly handled.
One minor actual un-designed mishap with a standing door frame nearly occurred at the October 11th performance which almost resulted in a LITERAL “torn curtain” - otherwise the overall performance flowed extremely well.
Kudos to Hruska, Martel, stage manager Brian Rossacci and the entire Calliope crew for the expeditious handling of the "notorious" number of set/scene changes required in the two-act play.
The set design itself was simultaneously minimalist and a clever construct which allowed for much of the expeditious redressing and changes.
It does not take Alfred Hitchcock’s Three Investigators to conclude that "THE 39 STEPS" is a thoroughly clever and charming show from Barlow and from Calliope Productions.
"THE 39 STEPS" continues in Boylston until October 20th, 2024 and without a “shadow of a doubt” this is a delightful comedy you that will keep you on the edge of your seat…with laughter. …and also leave you “spellbound”* for sure
(*Editor's note: last one).
Coming up next at Calliope Productions will be a holiday favorite "A CHRISTMAS STORY: THE MUSICAL" by Joseph Robinette beginning December 6th, 2024.
For tickets and more information contact the Box Office at # 508-869-6887 or visit https://www.ticketstage.com/T/CALLIOPE
BUY TICKETS
Approximately two hours, 20 minutes with one intermission.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
"THE 39 STEPS" is a parody adapted from the 1915 novel by John Buchan and the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock.
The original concept and production of a four-actor version of the story was by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon. Patrick Barlow rewrote this adaptation in 2005.
The play's concept calls for the entirety of the 1935 adventure film "THE 39 STEPS" to be performed with a cast of only four.
One actor plays the hero, Richard Hannay, an actress (or sometimes actor) plays the three women with whom he has romantic entanglements, and two other actors play every other character in the show: heroes, villains, men, women, children and even the occasional inanimate object.
This often requires lightning-fast quick-changes and occasionally for them to play multiple characters at once.
Thus the film's serious spy story is played mainly for laughs, and the script is full of allusions to (and puns on the titles of) other Alfred Hitchcock films, including "Strangers on a Train," "Rear Window," "Psycho," "Vertigo" and "North by Northwest."
ABOUT CALLIOPE PRODUCTIONS
CALLIOPE PRODUCTIONS is a year-round non-profit theatre company founded in 1982 that serves the needs and interests of audiences and performers in the Central Massachusetts region. CALLIOPE PRODUCTIONS presents six main-stage productions each year, and operates performance training workshops for students (ages 9 - 18) and adults. CALLIOPE PRODUCTIONS is a member of the American Association of Community Theatre, the Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theatres and the Worcester Cultural Coalition.
150 Main Street
Boylston, MA 01505
# 508-869-6887
