Take a pinch of thrilling spy mystery, sprinkle in a dash of romance, add a measure of Alfred Hitchcock references and innuendos and pour in a heaping spoonful of slap-stick comedy, and you have the recipe for The 39 Steps, which opens April 5 (Friday) for a two-weekend run at the Cider Mill Stage in Endicott.
Patrick Barlow’s play is a tongue-in-cheek adaptation of a 1915 novel written by John Buchan and a 1935 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It was a major hit in London and on Broadway where it ran for 771 performances after opening in 2008. It won two Tonys and a Drama Desk Award.
While the play shares the plot with the Hitchcock movie, it’s more comic in tone — in the style of Monty Python. Much of the humor comes from the fact that only a handful of actors recreate all the action in the Hitchcock film. The New York Times called it “a frenetic theater spoof” while The Guardian newspaper in England called it “a witty, high-energy show.”
BLAST (Bold Local Artists of the Southern Tier) is staging the Cider Mill production. The four featured actors are Adam Holley, Richard Aton, Marjorie Loughran and Mark Durkee.
The action begins with Richard Hannay (Holley) being lured into a world of intrigue and espionage by a mysterious woman (Loughran). What follows are terrifying train chases, plummeting planes and maniacal villains — none of this prevents Hannay from romancing two other attractive ladies (also Loughran) while evading “the 39 steps,” a strange organization led by The Professor (Mark Durkee).
The BLAST production is co-directed by Executive Director Kate Murray and Operations Director Bill Murray.
IF YOU GO: Performances of The 39 Steps will be presented weekends April 5 through 14 at the Cider Mill Stage, 2 Nanticoke Ave., Endicott. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday matinees are at 2:30 p.m. Tickets at $28 are available at cidermillstage.com or by calling 607-321-9630. Accessible seating is offered for those who need it, and snacks and beverages are available for purchase.
