For fans of Alfred Hitchcock, the next Northeast Community College theatre performance is going to be a treat.
Adam Peterson, the Northeast Community College communications and theater instructor, provided some background that audiences for “The 39 Steps” may find helpful. The adapter of the script, Patrick Barlow, watched the Hitchcock movie and read the book, and then came up with the version that will be presented by Northeast students.
“I think he (Barlow) was just looking for the most ridiculous – the hardest, most challenging way he can find – because there are so many scenes, and he just pushed the idea. And then he said, ‘What if we pushed this idea even further by just having a handful of people do all the characters?’ Through that process, he essentially established a satire and that’s what this really is. The show is kind of a satire of that old style.”
Every year, Northeast students take the lead role in the fourth play of the school year, which this year happens to be the British spy thriller that was directed by Hitchcock.
This performance has a minimalistic set, with the physical work of the actors and the comedy by the actors carrying it. It’s a nod to the silent film era and silent movie star Buster Keaton, Peterson said.
“This show, even though it is big, physical and fast, there is still a story underneath. It has heart. And there are still some scenes between the hero and the female lead. Buster Keaton said something to the effect of ‘Play it for real, not the laugh.’ And that’s kind of the standard that we’ve been using.”
The performances will be Thursday to Saturday, April 24-26, at 7:30 p.m. each day, and Sunday, April 27, at 1:30 p.m. at the Cox Activities Center Theatre.
Much of the comedy comes from characters in wacky situations.
“It’s full of dry humor,” Peterson said. “People who enjoy dry humor especially should come check it out. It is meant to be funny in that British way. It’s essentially as if Monty Python redid ‘The 39 Steps.’”
The cast and crew features students and faculty. The cast includes Aiden Doughty, who is in the lead and has to be on stage almost the entire time. The female lead who performs other roles is Katy Edmisten. Presley Wolf and Leah Tillman play Clowns 1 and 2.
A third clown, Charlie Starkel, also performs various roles. Northeast adapted the play to add the third clown because the clowns perform so many characters that the third was added to spread it out.
“It kind of works better that way because he (Starkel) plays characters that are kind of one off, by himself,” Peterson said.
The Foley Artists are Charlie Henkel and Paul Muncy, History and Geography instructor. There also is a large crew who work behind the scenes to make it all work out.
The crew and others who assist includes Alex McKeown, assistant director; Daniel Vosburg, Jaiden Ertzner, Brody Maurer, Bridgett Long, Marie Kubo, Brandon Pruden, Kat Stuthman, Jacob Herrick, Lizzy Weed, Taylor Kleinschmit, Cameron Long, Lonn Atwood, Chet Harper, Steve Wilke, Henery Peterson, Mike Potts, Wendy Swenson, Amber Doughty, Libby McKay and Amy Okamoto.
Student Performers
Northeast Community College students will be performing “The 39 Steps” this week. Performances will be Thursday to Saturday, April 24-26, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 27, at 1:30 p.m. (Northeast Community College)
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