The 39 Steps

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CATEGORY: MAIN EVENT
CATEGORY: MAIN EVENT

The 39 Steps is appropriate for audience in 8th grade through high school, families, and adults

The 39 Steps

Based on the novel by John Buchan
Adapted by Patrick Barlow

Directed by Scott P. Calhoon

Playbill
- Link to The 39 Steps Playbill (Flipbook)

- Link to Large Print Playbill (pdf)

Hannay, a man, trapped in a boring life, encounters a woman who claims to be a spy. Soon, she is murdered and he gets entangled in a nationwide manhunt. Hitchcock’s suspenseful thriller becomes a fast-paced spy experience with intrigue and nonstop laughs as four actors bring 150 zany characters to life!

Winner of two Tony Awards®, the play is filled with nonstop laughs with 4 actors who play 150 characters, featuring a plane chase, a vaudeville show, missing fingers, and old-fashioned Hitchcock romance.

Performance Dates and Times

Friday, May 5th - 8pm Friday, May 12th - 8pm
Saturday, May 6th - 8pm Saturday, May 13th - 2:30pm & 8pm
Sunday, May 7th - 2:30pm Sunday, May 14th - 2:30pm

Special Dates
Preview: Friday, May 5th at 8pm - Pay What You Can

Opening Night: Saturday, May 6th at 8pm

Prime Stage Theatre is committed to providing an environment that is inclusive and welcoming to all patrons. Please identify any special seating needs to our Box Office staff when reserving your tickets in advance on-line or by calling Prime Stage Public Performance Box Office at the New Hazlett 412.320.4610


Dr. Sean Martin Post-Show Discussion on May 6th following the performance: Dr. Sean Martin is an assistant professor of criminal justice and intelligence studies. He is also the online director and coordinator of the Point Park University Intelligence and National security program which is the only Intelligence Programs in the Country Recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community. Sean has been to the CIA headquarters many times, talked with many, many officers from the IC, and will share his experiences of encountering spies.


REVIEWS

"This is a larky, farcical adaptation by Patrick Barlow that will leave you laughing in the aisles and relishing the special moments." - Owlscribe

"This wonderfully zany retelling of a classic film staged by a very formidable ensemble of theater artists."

"It's wonderful to laugh again!"

"Scott Calhoon directs a madcap production of the show. It’s frenetic and crazy with a marvelous cast. The getaway action scene on the train is a piece of theatrical genius."


Pittsburgh Owlscribe: 39 Steps - Well Worth the Climb

'Burg Vivant: Comedy with a Hitch – a review of “39 Steps”


CAST

Trevor Buda
Portraying the Clown and several roles
Trevor is happy to return to Prime Stage after appearing in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (Fenris Ulf). He is currently an actor in the touring productions of Saltworks Theater Company. Other credits include The Metromaniacs (Damis) at Little Lake Theater, Hamlet (Horatio), All’s Well That Ends Well (Bertram), Dracula (John Seward), As You Like It (Silvius), and others with the Ohio Shakespeare Festival. He is a graduate of Baldwin Wallace University. He sends love to his wife, Jill.

Kendall Mason Kendall Mason
Portraying the Clown and several roles
Kendall is excited to be making her Prime Stage Theatre debut with The 39 Steps. She is a recent graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she graduated with a degree in Performance and Leadership in the Arts through the interdisciplinary studies program, with a minor in screenwriting. She has also studied classical acting at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Her favorite past credits include The Skin of Our Teeth (PlayMakers Repertory Company), Girls Like That (Paper Lantern Theatre), Antony and Cleopatra (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts), and Colored (Kenan Theatre Company). Kendall would like to thank the cast and crew as well as her parents for their support throughout this wonderful experience.

Rachel Pfennigwerth Rachel Pfennigwerth
Portraying Pamela, Anabella, and Margaret
Rachel is excited to be with Prime Stage for a second production. Favorite credits include The White Witch in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Prime Stage) Electra in Electra (Little Lake Theatre) Kala in Tarzan (China National Tour), Sheriff/Shop Lady in Bubble Boy the Musical, (Arcade Comedy Theater), and Logan in The Thanksgiving Play (Arcade). Next up, Rachel is co-directing Matilda at Act One Theatre School. www.rachelpfennigwerth.weebly.com

Ryan Warsing  Ryan Warsing
Portraying Richard Hannay
Ryan is glad to be making his Prime Stage debut. He is predominantly an improviser and can commonly be seen at the Steel City Improv Theater, Arcade Comedy Theater, and other stages that will have him. A native Pittsburgher, Ryan has performed with the Virginia Shakespeare Company and various theaters throughout Chicago. He is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory and a former house improviser at Chicago’s iO Theater. He has written and produced several of his own shows, and in his spare time continues to write plays, sketches, essays, and paragraphs that could go anywhere. Ryan is a graduate of the College of William and Mary with a degree in Theatre. He would like to thank his personal friend, Alfred Hitchcock, without whom this production would not be possible.


More Information

The 39 Steps was a British suspense film, released in 1935, that helped establish Alfred Hitchcock as one of the leading directors in the genre and employed themes that became hallmarks of his movies.

About Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born in London, England, on August 13, 1899, and was raised by strict, Catholic parents. He described his childhood as lonely and sheltered, partly due to his obesity. He once said that he was sent by his father to the local police station with a note asking the officer to lock him away for 10 minutes as punishment for behaving badly. He also remarked that his mother would force him to stand at the foot of her bed for several hours as punishment (a scene alluded to in his film Psycho).

Hitchcock attended the Jesuit school St. Ignatius College before going on to attend the University of London, taking art courses. He eventually obtained a job as a draftsman and advertising designer for the cable company Henley’s. It was while working at Henley’s that he began to write, submitting short articles for the in-house publication. From his very first piece, he employed themes of false accusations, conflicted emotions and twist endings with impressive skill.

In 1920, Hitchcock entered the film industry with a full-time position at the Famous Players-Lasky Company designing title cards for silent films. Within a few years, he was working as an assistant director. In 1925, Hitchcock directed his first film and began making the “thrillers” for which he became known the world over. His 1929 film Blackmail is said to be the first British “talkie.” In the 1930s, he directed such classic suspense films as “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (1934) and “The 39 Steps” (1935). In 1939, Hitchcock left England for Hollywood. The first film he made in the United States, “Rebecca” (1940), won an Academy Award for best picture. Some of his most famous films include “Psycho” (1960), “The Birds” (1963) and “Marnie” (1964).

His cameo appearances in his own films, as well as his interviews, film trailers and the television program “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” (1955-1965), made him a cultural icon. Hitchcock directed more than 50 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He received the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award in 1979. (biography.com)

Interesting facts

Besides marking the beginning of Hitchcock’s international notoriety, The 39 Steps is contains so many “Hitchcockian” elements before that was an established description. The tropes of the innocent, random man drawn into a nefarious plot, the icy blonde, the thriller with pops of cheeky humor and romance, the “MacGuffin,” and the visually stunning, slightly sideways style all appear in this film. Some elements can seem cliched now, but that’s only because this movie did it first! You can see why it’s a popular film for those searching for the auteur’s mark.

The 39 Steps is more than just “interesting.” It’s also really fun and quirky, plus it has some striking images and performances.

Link to The Full Hitchcock Movie


2022-2023 SEASON

"Suspense, Hope and Wonder."

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