BLT stepping on stage with ‘39 Steps’
“The 39 Steps” by Patrick Barlow, a four-person farce based on Alfred Hitchcock’s 1939 hit move, will take the Butler Little Theatre stage March 4.
Director Duane Peters said the show follows a man named Richard Hannay who longs for adventure, until adventure finds him.
“He finds himself having to prove his innocence for a crime he didn’t commit,” Peters said. “It’s a comical twist on the Alfred Hitchcock movie, with four actors.”
The leading man is played by Casey Bowser. The other three cast members, Heidi Nicholls Bowser, Ken Smith and Phillip Ball, each play a slew of characters to make up the colorful cast Richard Hannay meets on his journey.
“It’s hard work, not only to change their dialog and costumes but their motivation,” Peters said. “It’s a real challenge for them.”
Ken Smith, who plays “Clown 1” said he portrays characters as diverse as a 13 year-old paper boy to an old Scotsman, a vaudeville act and even the wife of his fellow “clown,” played by Ball.
“It’s a lot of fun; it’s a gag throughout the whole thing. We’ll be changing characters on stage,” Smith said. “The challenge is coming up with characters that are unique but still believable. We make it a point to make characters different from each other but also from what (Ball) is doing.”
The show was originally slated to run in January, but was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. Casey and Heidi were not part of the original cast, but took up their roles gracefully, Peters said.
“They rose to the occasion,” he said. “Because they’re husband and wife, they were able to rehearse together even when we weren’t.”
After a two week hiatus, the cast took to Zoom to rehearse the show. Peters said cast and crew are excited to take the stage again.
“We’re eager to finally get the show on the road. It’s been a long haul,” he said.
Peters said audiences will be impressed by the actors’ energy and skills.
“Audiences will be amazed at the way these actors are able to portray scenes from the movie ...They will be engaged,” Peters said.
Smith said people should come to see “The 39 Steps” in support of their local theater, and to have a guaranteed laugh.
“This past year and a half has been rough on families and people and performance venues alike,” Smith said. “Going to the Little Theatre to see a light-hearted show will make people smile.”
If You Go
WHO: Butler Little Theatre
WHAT: “The 39 Steps” by Patrick Barlow
WHEN: March 4 to 12. Curtain times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.
WHERE: BLT, One Howard St., Butler
TICKETS: $13, available by calling 724-287-6781 or at the box office.
