'The 39 Steps' At Dock Street Theatre, Non-Stop Laughfest

Charleston Stage Company Knock This Comedic Parody Out of the Theatrical Park

Jeff Walker,  Entertainment Writer / Review

Dating back over 100 years, the origin of the stage play 'The 39 Steps' begins with Scottish writer John Buchan in 1915, with his adventure novel becoming a cinematic masterpiece in 1935 due to immortal film director Alfred Hitchcock. Sixty years (1996) later playwrights Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon revisited the four actor version of the story, bringing the original concept to life on British stages.

Nearly 30 years later after making its stage debut including a comedic rewrite in 2005 by Patrick Barlow, 'The 39 Steps' has become a favorite among regional and local theatre groups worldwide, as well in north America, with Charleston Stage Company putting a wonderful and farcical stamp on the production, for their first offering in 2025. chasstage397

Under the skilled direction of Marybeth Clark, a quartet of extremely talented thespians, including three resident actors deliver two hours of sheer theatrical splendor, injecting classic homages to several of Hitchcock's famed movies.

Described as a six foot one good looking ordinary joe with a pencil thin mustache, Richard Hannay is thrust into a world of espionage when a mysterious woman seeks refuge at his apartment, only to end up murdered. Now the target of an international crime syndicate, Hannay's chance encounter forces him on a fast paced thrill ride aboard a bullet-train full of plot twists ripe with romance, intrigue, and quick change artistry, all while he is desperately trying to unravel the mystery of the '39 Steps'.

Aside from our would be hero Richard Hannay, played magnificently by Kameron Rojas-Schueneman, the additional 100 plus characters are portrayed wonderfully and at break neck speed by the remaining trio. A theatrical triple threat! Rojas-Schueneman depicts Hannay as both frenzied and debonair, comfortable with a dark haired femme fatale or a beautiful blonde by his side.

Charlotte native and Charleston Stage resident actor Camryn Duckworth fills the shoes of Annabella, Pamela, and Margaret, portraying all three with varying degrees of seduction and naivete. She is alluring as Annabella the exotic secret agent, memorable as Margaret the reserved farmer's wife yearning for life outside the farm, and playful as Pamela the unsuspecting siren handcuffed physically and emotionally in Hannay's escapade. Richard and Pamela's entanglement at the fence post is downright adorable.

Dominick Ventrella and Matthew Willingham round out the foursome, respectively as Clown 1 and Clown 2 in the playbill. However, their billing provides little justice, as their jester roles come complete with multitude of character quantum leaps. One second they are passengers, the next they are the police, and two seconds later they are newspaper deliverers.

Their transformation into a farmer, hotel owner, and or a maid, as well a 100 other personalities comes as easy as the changing of a hat or a housecoat! They are never more endearing as when they are attired as Mr. Memory and Professor Jordan. Simply superb!!

Kudos to the entire crew as well as the folks behind the scenes, especially those in costume design (Kestrel Jurkiewicz Miles).  'The 39 Steps' is meant to run at a frantic pace and the ensemble cast offer up just that. Charleston Stage not only score a home run with their adaptation, they deliver a grand slam, as the four actors are perfectly cast in their respective roles.

If you enjoy epic performances and laughing feverishly, than I highly recommend catching a presentation of 'The 39 Steps' during its run at the Dock Street Theatre. Shows run Thursday-Sunday through February 16th, with matinees on Sundays. For more on tickets and times visit https://charlestonstage.com/shows-and-tickets/the-39-steps