How do you make the work of Alfred Hitchcock funny while still honoring the legend of the “Master of Suspense”? If you ask Elizabeth Cottle, director of The Valentine’s Studio A’s upcoming production of The 39 Steps, the challenge comes naturally.
First, acquire a comedic adaptation of the Hitchcock film, The 39 Steps, with four actors to play 50 characters. Then, add romance, intrigue, and dozens of references to Alfred Hitchcock. Finally, flip the script on the filmmaker’s classic approach to thrill by exaggerating the scares.
Stepping away from fear
The 39 Steps, Hitchcock’s 1935 thriller based on the John Buchan 1915 adventure novel, follows Londoner, Richard Hannay, as he takes on an organization of spies. Accompanied by femme fatale Annabella Smith, the duo’s race to protect military secrets results in a breathtaking and thrilling cinematic adventure.
For this stage adaptation, everything changes. Instead of nodding to Hitchcock’s film script, Cottle and her cast of four are working with the Patrick Barlow’s 2005 stageplay adaptation.
“As with a lot of comedy, we’re exaggerating the elements that Hitchcock makes terrifying,” said Cottle. “It’s much campier than the film and pulls a lot of references for staging purposes. It makes it light hearted and fun… [during the play] the actors are running around and picking up props throughout, which leads to a lot of improvisation.”
To pull off the improvisational element, Cottle says that chemistry was the biggest factor when casting the four actors. The cast must learn Scottish, Cockney, Standard British and German dialects for the production. In some scenes, the actors will switch through all four accents.
“The play is so dependent on a minimal cast that I had to see [what actors] would be the most versatile, who pulled things out of each other, and if they could play well with each other,” said Cottle. During auditions, potential actors assumed multiple roles and accents, before eventually casting John Klenk, Alison Koch, Garrett Monasmith and Eric Simpson. “This cast’s chemistry just clicked and they’ve been so professional and excited about it. It’s a new experience every rehearsal,”
explained Cottle.
The right space
The campy, improvisational play will be held in the Valentine’s 90 seat black box, Studio A. The black box theater style, which first became popular in the 1960s, is a minimal and bare set-up where the audience sits almost on the stage, creating an intimate experience and providing energy.
“Comedy is especially great for this stage,” said Cottle. “When you have a group laughing together, the actors can see how they’re affecting the audience so they can play with the different natures of the crowds.”
Experience The Valentine’s Studio A’s unique stage during the mysterious, comedic and improvisational performance on The 39 Steps, opening on Friday, April 1— a fitting date for the parody.
8pm Friday-Saturday, 2pm Sunday. April 1-10.
$20/general, $10/at the door with student ID.
The Valentine Theatre’s Studio A, 410 Adams St.
419-242-2787 | valentinetheatre.com
