The Williamston Theatre is presenting a stage adaptation of the Alfred Hitchcock film classic “The 39 Steps” this summer.
While inspired by the movie, this play differs in one important way: it’s more comedy than thriller.
Hitchcock's 1935 film is a spy thriller about a man caught up in a plot to steal military secrets. In the process, he’s accused of murder, so he goes on the run. Much of the action takes place on a moving train.
Actor Ryan Patrick Welsh calls the movie “bizarre” for the time. For this stage version, he wants the audience to imagine what went into an action movie almost a century ago.
“Chases, and, you know, airplanes coming in to find somebody,” he explained, “All of that stuff has to get expressed, you know, within the confines of that space, and what it creates is a very active four people.”
Welsh plays the main character, and co-star Caitlin Cavannaugh plays three different roles. She says the show requires a huge number of set and costume changes.
"Between direction, cast, designers, everybody working together to make this really cool, unique experience, and then the audience gets to be imaginative with us and see the rest of the train themselves? I think that’s such a cool thing to be a part of," she said.
Along with Welsh’s one role and Cavannaugh’s trio of parts, two other actors, Emily Sutton-Smith and Patrick Loos, portray a mind-numbing array of dozens of characters.
Welsh said all those moving parts makes for dizzying choreography.
"On top of a train, which, you know, is standing on three stationary blocks, but then you have lights that are going, and sound coming in and projection," he said.
"That’s one of the things that I love about theatre in general, is the way that we can bring people back into a place of make believe.”
For Cavannaugh, the choreography isn’t the only thing about “The 39 Steps” that’s at play in this comedy.
“I think the biggest challenge right now, for me, is to not also laugh when I’m not supposed to on stage!”
With opening night this week, Ryan Patrick Welsh and Caitlin Cavannaugh agree that working on this show has been great fun.
The opening night for “The 39 Steps” at Williamston Theatre is Friday, and the show runs through August 16.
UPCOMING ARTS EVENTS
The Dam Jam Music Festival takes place Friday, June 17 and Saturday, June 18 at the Fish Ladder Music Park in Old Town Lansing. Acts include Headband Henny, and Shayla Hamady.
Starting next Wednesday, July 22, the Lansing Community College Summer Stage program presents “Going Medieval! Two comedic plays from the 1400s" at LCC’s Dart Auditorium.
Also next Wednesday, Ellen Dickenson, university carillonist at Yale, performs as part of Michigan State University’s Muelder Summer Carillon Series. The music starts at 6 p.m. at Beaumont Tower.
TRANSCRIPT
Scott Pohl: With Inside the Arts, I'm Scott Pohl.
The Williamston Theatre is presenting a stage adaptation of the Alfred Hitchcock film classic “The 39 Steps” this summer. While inspired by the movie, this play differs in one important way: it’s more comedy than thriller.
As part of our series Inside the Arts, I went to Williamston to talk with two actors performing in the show.
“The 39 Steps” is a spy thriller about a man caught up in a plot to steal military secrets. In the process, he’s accused of murder, so he goes on the run. Much of the action takes place on a moving train.
Actor Ryan Patrick Welsh calls Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 movie “bizarre” for the time. For this stage version, he wants the audience to imagine what went into an action movie almost a century ago.
Ryan Patrick Welsh: Chases, and, you know, airplanes coming in to find somebody, and all of that stuff has to get expressed, you know, within the confines of that space, and what it creates is a very active four people.
Pohl: Welsh plays the main character, and co-star Caitlin Cavannaugh plays three different roles. She says the show requires a huge number of set and costume changes.
Caitlin Cavannaugh: Between direction, cast, designers, everybody working together to make this really cool, unique experience, and then the audience gets to be imaginative with us and see the rest of the train themselves? I think that’s such a cool thing to be a part of.
Pohl: Along with Welsh’s one role and Cavannaugh’s trio of parts, two other actors, Emily Sutton-Smith and Patrick Loos, portray a mind-numbing array of dozens of characters. Welsh says all those moving parts makes for dizzying choreography.
Welsh: On top of a train, which, you know, is standing on three stationary blocks, but then you have lights that are going, and sound coming in, and projections that are, and I mean, that’s one of the things that I love about theatre in general, is the way that we can bring people back into a place of make believe.
Pohl: For Cavannaugh, the choreography isn’t the only thing about “The 39 Steps” that’s at play in this comedy.
Cavannaugh: Yeah, I think the biggest challenge right now, for me, is to not also laugh when I’m not supposed to on stage!
Pohl: In this scene being rehearsed, the actors exhibit some banter from the show, accents and all.
(Soundbite of play, "The 39 Steps")
Welsh: (As Richard Hannay) It was you who fired that revolver in the theatre, wasn’t it? It wasn’t a great show, but it wasn’t that bad.
Cavannaugh: (As Anabella Smith) It was a diversion. There were two men in the theatre trying to shoot me.
Welsh: (As Richard Hannay) You should be more careful when choosing your gentlemen friends.
Cavannaugh: (As Anabella Smith) No jokes, Mr. Hannay, please.
Pohl: With opening night this week, Ryan Patrick Welsh and Caitlin Cavannaugh agree that working on this show has been great fun.
Welsh: I don’t know, it does feel very much to me like this play could exist in a world where four people went ‘this movie was awesome! What if we did it in our garage?'
Cavannaugh: Yeah! That is kind of what it feels like!
Welsh: It’s sort of like "Let’s invite all the neighbors and we’ll do 'The 39 Steps' in our garage, it’s such a cool thing!"
Scott Pohl: The opening night for “The 39 Steps” at Williamston Theatre is Friday, and the show runs through August 16.
With Inside The Arts, I’m Scott Pohl.
