RSS 2.0 FeedJune 8, 2011, Cover Stories, Theatre
Rambunctious send-up in “39 Steps”
Farcical and all the right kinds of ridiculous, American Heartland Theatre's production of "The 39 Steps" benefits from great design and actors embodying multiple roles.
American Heartland Theatre’s production of “The 39 Steps” fully embraced the ridiculousness of Patrick Barlow’s farcical adaption. Elements from the original novel by John Buchan and the Alfred Hitchcock thriller were rolled into a tongue-in-cheek romp through London and the Scottish countryside. The four person cast – half way through a well-oiled run - flew through scenes with a madcap energy, delivering fast-paced dialogue that only briefly paused to allow for the audience’s chuckles.
Though the opening monologue and over-long exposition wore a little thin, the show quickly went into high gear and continued at full speed for the duration. Director William J. Christie kept the cast at full tilt, with quick scene and costume changes. The impressive physical comedy and inventive props, together with the lighting, made the show.
John Wilson played the dapper Richard Hannay, a disenchanted man of leisure who gets wrapped up in an international spy ring. The only actor with a single character, Wilson delivered a rather nonchalant approach to the character’s plight, never allowing the situation to become too serious.
Emily Peterson played an assortment of mysterious and beautiful women. She had the most consistent accents of the cast and filled out her three roles with distinctive clarity and humor.
The rest of the characters were played with impressive versatility by Doogin Brown and Jerry Jay Cranford. They offered over-the-top caricatures commonly seen in crime stories—evil villains, bumbling police officers, thugs, a silly maid and a taciturn farmer, as well as a litany of others—over 100 bits and pieces all told.
The sound design by Mic Pool brought much of the environmental ambiance to life. This design, originally developed for the Broadway production, won a Tony Award for Best Sound Design in 2008. These elements brought out the culture and technology of the pre-WWII era, with incidental music and the sounds of planes, trains and automobiles.
The scenic design for the show (Alex Perry) created a flexible work space for the action, ranging from a train car to the bogs of the Scottish countryside to the London Palladium. A nice little literal tribute was the 39 steps along the front of the stage. Props (William J. Christie) were humorous and accommodated the swift scene changes. Costumes (Sarah Oliver), even as subtle as a hat or coat, thoroughly indicated character shifts, especially in the more convoluted scenes. The lighting (Shane Rowse) created intimate and dramatic moments with brief homages to film noir and full use of the fog machine.
REVIEW:
American Heartland Theatre
The 39 Steps
Reviewed Tuesday, May 31at 7:30 pm. Runs through June 19.
Third floor of the Crown Center Mall
2450 Grand Boulevard, Kansas City, MO
For tickets, information, and show times: call 816-842-9999 or visit www.ahtkc.com
Traditional and New Classical, Theatre Contributor
Libby Hanssen holds degrees from University of Missouri-Kansas City (M.M.) and Ball State University (B.M.) in trombone performance and also studied music education at Indiana University. She has studied trombone with Carl Lenthe, JoDee Davis, John Seidel, John Huntoon and Denis Wick, and music education with Brent Gault, Estelle Jorgensen and Katherine Strand.
While at IU, she taught classes in general music, focusing on listening skills and music fundamentals through practical music usage and exploring new sound constructions. During the course of her studies at UMKC, she performed with many ensembles, including the Conservatory Orchestra and Musica Nova. She has also performed with the Kansas City Puccini Festival, the People's Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City, the New Jazz Order, the Indiana Wind Symphony and the Muncie Symphony Orchestra.
In 2010, she was a fellow (one of 23 journalists selected from across the US) for the seventh annual National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Arts Journalism Institute in Classical Music and Opera at Columbia University’s Journalism School in New York City.
Most of her free time is spent with her three boys (son, dog and husband) and camera, exploring the many fine aspects of Kansas City living. She enjoys listening to KKFI - Kansas City Community Radio and KCUR - Kansas City's NPR station, visiting Kansas City's fine collection of museums and galleries, and scavenging in thrift and antique stores to add to her collection of toy instruments.
She writes for the joy of words and the process of constructing a story, maintaining the blog Proust Eats a Sandwich (www.prousteatsasandwich.wordpress.com). She is working on her first book: Murray Goes to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
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