MWThe+39Steps

__The 39 Steps __: A Review The play __The 39 Steps__, adapted from the 1935 film to be performed onstage, and directed by George Contini, is a chaotic romp through a mystery noir era as seen through Monty Python-tinted glasses. Conspiracies, romances and mistaken identities galore, this production gave a “nudge nudge wink wink” to those versed in the works of Hitchcock and mannerisms of British humour. The excellence of this performance was observed in all facets of a modern theatre piece including: setting design, costuming, lighting, acting, and directing. On first entering the theatre, audience members were faced with an ersatz movie screen playing jolly 1920’s-era black and white cartoons, creating the feel of a quaint and retro viewing space. The animation was a throwback to a bygone era and helped to create a sense of setting early on within the show experience. The acting space itself was overflowing with warm, lush colors; furniture and scenery were painted using lots of deep reds and browns and even the proscenium arch was decorated in a similar fashion. The working set maintained a revolving collection of props including: scaffolding, a movable door, three trunks, three wooden chairs, and an armchair, all which served to portray an enormous variety of objects and places. By merely reconfiguring the existing props onstage, the actors could go from a Scottish inn to a train car or from an airplane to an evil lair in a matter of seconds. The large props such as the door and scaffolding were ambiguous enough that in the hands of such an imaginative and active crew and cast, they could create a flow from scene to scene by physically moving them. These props could quickly “transform” into another type of prop to fit the current or upcoming scenes in a matter of seconds (i.e. scaffolding turning into a lobby desk or ladders turning into train cars). Some aspects of the play such as the airplane scene with the hat-miniature plane combo, the Scottish inn, and the quick-change acting were brilliant, yet it seems that the play might have been better served if less exciting scenes (such as the theatre scenes and the villain’s lair) had been given the same extra punch of added detail. Sound was used in such a manner as to create and complement the setting and the physical action appearing onstage. Train whistles enlivened the chaotic hustle of a train station, gunshots and string music enhanced the suspense of a chase, and overly dramatic sound clips made escape scenes into the parody of the quintessential “fleeing from danger” scene that exists in all works of mystery. The overall setting created was a mash of physical props, stage design, sounds and music that was both essential to presenting the play but also giving the scenes depth and character. The costuming and outfitting of all the characters of __The 39 Steps__ was simple and yet still managed to serve each actor’s part well. Each character possessed a sleek silhouette and individual look, but the outfits could easily give transition to another as seen during a variety of “quick-change” scenes where the same actor simultaneously played two characters in the same scene. One of the more elaborate and striking costumes included that of Annabella Schmidt’s theatre dress; a mix of dramatic red velvet and black lace that simply screamed ‘30s starlet and femme fatale. Completing her look were the smaller details of stockings, a feather hairpiece and gloves. Richard Hannay’s tweed suit and loafers gave him a more conservative look, but what really made the character complete was the facial hair. The villain Jordan and Hannay were both adorned with a small beard and mustache respectively. For the most outrageous villain Jordan, the costume combined what seemed to be Nazi and Soviet-style uniforms to create a fairly foreboding and definitely evil stage presence. The most intricate and shocking costume was the Indian inspired ensemble as worn by Mr. Memory. The splendiferous patches of vibrant color and shining gold as well as a large cumbersome turban and mustache embodied the absurd persona of the performer. With only four performers acting out what are dozens of individual roles throughout the entire play, the actors were tasked with rapid changes of character within a single scene. In order to accomplish this, new “personas” were given a removable item of clothing distinct enough to recognize within the flurry of movement. The two men who played train passengers also played a police officer (noted by a police hat), a paperboy (a flat cap), and a train conductor (a whistle and pocket watch); in a later scene, two spies in trench coats altered their clothing to become a Scottish innkeeper and his wife. Dressing in drag is also a very common thing in this play due to the minimal number of female actors to play a large number of minor female roles, and it also connects to the style of comedy often employed by Monty Python. The ingenious and inventive use of hats, coats, and wigs made the appearance of a large production with only a small cast, and the sheer enthusiasm of the actors as they teetered between multiple characters gave complexity to the comedy as a whole. The costumes are smartly styled and distinct, yet ambiguous enough to change at the drop of a hat, literally. Out of all the technical aspects of the performance, one of the most nuanced elements was the creative way light was manipulated into being an integral part of the comedy itself. Initially, the lighting was used merely as a way to set the atmosphere. The darkness during the beginning cartoons was just as important in setting mood as the lighting within Hannay’s living room in the opening scene. However, the use of light evolved into something more playful—it marked the entrance of sighting of spies, and when used in conjunction with dramatic music, emphasized the feeling of chaos. In addition to helping create the general noir mood, special light effects added another layer of detail that was most entertaining to behold. It helped create the impression of gunfire as shot from a plane, and it also rose at the whim of the characters as they chased each other through the audience. All the aspects of the lighting and highlighting a scene were handled with such finesse that it complemented and enhanced the actors’ performances on stage.  The acting and acting abilities of the performers within __The 39 Steps__ were absolutely tremendous. Playing the comedy for all it was worth, the four members of the show did justice to the ever-popular sly and witty humour of Monty Python. Each scene was filled to the brim with verbal irony and mockery of everything, whether it is foreign accents, the Hitchcock genre or that characters themselves. The actors shot forth their lines with such a cunning sarcasm that reveled in its own absurdness, and with what seemed to be uncanny timing. Each actor also possessed an impressive knack for accents, and the end result ranged from a Scottish brogue to a Russian accent worthy of the best of soap operas. The most humorous vocal performance, however, had to have been the Indian accent of Mr. Memory; it managed to walk the line between comical and offensive.  Each individual actor had a clear and precise stage presence and spoke and gestured in a manner that could be easily heard and read from the back of the audience. Along with a mastery of voice projection, the cast made slapstick and minute movements into a fine art. Three characters climbing over each other awkwardly in a train car produced a hysterical cry of laughter, yet the actors bouncing to create the feel of a rumbling train gave depth to the scene. Though the details were expertly added to scenes, as a whole the cast proficiently utilized stage space and commanded the whole stage instead of working in small portions of the stage at a time. In addition, the acting ensemble as a whole was very cohesive and the rapport between characters was very believable. Characters listened and responded to each other; there was a sense of reacting to lines, and not merely hearing them. Commendations must also be given to the three actors who successfully managed to plow their way through quick costume changes both on and off the stage. Overall, the actors did a professional performance of __The 39 Steps__ with wonderful eloquence, precise execution, and a memorable “vay vid ze agzents”.  One of the most vital aspects of a play is the directing and the approach and vision the director took to create from. The pacing of __The 39 Steps__ is kept quick and snappy and keeps the action moving when dialogue or a simple plotline lags. Since the original movie’s release in 1935, many of the original plot twists have become very predictable, but the overall atmosphere and mood created is grand in scale to atone. Emphasis was placed on the comedy and the ludicrous nature of the characters and situation rather than plot or back-story; however, the usage of a small cast, a small number of repurposed props, and the running jokes helped maintain a cohesive story. Kitschy props such as the improvised movie screen and the Benny Hill-style chase through the audience are parts of the stylistic imaginings of the director uses to create nuance. As the director must take part in and oversee the entirety of the acting, designing, costuming, lighting, music, and props, it is safe to say that the product created was a cohesive, smart-looking throwback to a classic genre. Mr. Contini’s version of __The 39__ Steps was effectively put into action and the result was unusual yet thrilling to watch.