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| So often a melodrama
on stage these days turns into a comedy- whether the theatre intended it as
such or not. What playwright Patrick Barlow has done with the old Alfred
Hitchcock movie, The 39 Steps, is turn this espionage potboiler into a
comedy with sight gags, inspired dialogue and a cast of four that plays almost
100 roles. And the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis has turned it into an
instant classic. In an uncanny quirk of fate, one of the TV channels had on the old movie the day after we saw the opening at the Rep. It's amazing how closely the dialogue and plot were followed, but the comic upturn is much more entertaining. Rep favorite, Paul DeBoy plays the sophisticated Canadian Richard Hannay who, while visiting England, stumbles on a plot that could destroy the country. He plays the role straight with a strong tongue-in-cheek touch. It's marvelous. Marina Squerciati shows her acting chops in portraying three of the ladies- a mysterious stranger with the key to the plot, a Scottish farm girl and the blonde heroine. At times she becomes almost a bag of bones as she dips as low as anyone could possible dip for a stunning on stage kiss, and a hilarious turn as the murdered femme fatale. Then we come to the dynamic duo of Michael Keyloun and Tyrone Mitchell Henderson who portray the rest of the multitude of characters. Using costumes, wigs, moustaches and accents, they switch fluidly from one personage to the next- sometimes in a split second. It's a marvel to behold. Director Martha Banta keeps the pace going at a remarkable clip with plenty of laughs and sight gags that keep the audience on the edge of their seats- with laughter. Set designer James Wolk creates an old theatre stage as the backdrop since it is pivotal to a lot of the plot with everything from trunks to blackboards that come into play as many of the set pieces. Lou Bird's costumes and Matt Frey's lighting design add to the theme while a special nod to sound designers Mic Pool and Rusty Wandall goes out for an intricate and sometimes downright hilarious series of background music and sound effects. Even if you have not seen this immortal Hitchcock classic, The 39 Steps will intrigue and delight. It's a quick evening in two acts thanks to the frenetic pace of the plot, but it's a trip to the theatre you won't soon forget. The 39 Steps plays on the Rep Mainstage through January 31st. This is Steve Allen with a look at theatre in St. Louis for CLASSIC99. |
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