Ric Rose plays a clown, a hotel owner, a train passenger and more. He switches roles with the change of a hat or the swift swing of a ladder.
He’s one of a cast of four that juggles nearly 140 characters during 35 scenes of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The 39 Steps.”
From Friday to May 8, The Hippodrome Theatre will bring the mystery classic adapted by Patrick Barlow to its stage, with an early viewing tonight at 8.
The two-time Tony Award-winning piece has had successful runs on Broadway and in London after being remade three times for the stage and silver screen since the book, by author John Buchan, was released in 1915.
The production pokes fun at the theatricality of the theater, telling the story of Richard Hannay and his whimsical encounters through a film noir lens and capturing large acting, speedy choreography and a myriad of dialects.
Hannay runs from the police on an alleged murder charge, all the while letting the illusion of the 39 steps progress the real story — his growing romance with Pamela, played by Jessica Morris.
Despite its entertainment, Morris said the cast made it a priority not to let these antics take away from the script’s message.
“They can say it’s the story of the 39 steps and the trajectory of adventures Hannay lands himself in, but it’s about him falling love,” Morris said, “not the gimmicks.”
Aside from a 15-minute intermission, the story speeds through two hours of multitasking for the cast of veteran Hipp actors. They were the characters, setting and props, as they coordinated their stunts and costume changes and manipulated their escape plans and environment.
A layer of smoke covers the thrust stage floor throughout every scene, adding curiosity to the play’s mystery. A streetlight lets the outdoors coexist onstage with the interior of Hannay’s apartment. A picture frame acts as a windowpane, and a bright turquoise sheet, tugged and tossed, serves as a river.
One minute the three wooden chests were the dinner table, and the next, they were Hannay and Pamela’s bed as they found themselves handcuffed to each other and trying to hide their unusual, secret circumstances.
Lauren Caldwell, the show’s director, has spent 15 years as artistic director at the Hipp.
Caldwell said Hitchcock was a part of her early life and inspiration, and she remembers being introduced to his half-hour weekly TV program, “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.” She has followed his work ever since.
When it was time to direct, Caldwell said it was important for her to stick close to Hitchcock’s adaptation more than the others.
Cast member Justin Sease juggled characters and made a note to familiarize himself with Hitchcock for his role. He said the best part of “The 39 Steps” is that no background knowledge is necessary to enjoy the show.
“This is my fourth show at the Hipp, and they’re all very different,” Sease said. “And now I’m doing this, when I’m playing about 15 different characters, but you don’t need to have seen the movies to understand.”
The physicality of the piece pokes fun at the illusion of the stage, and for Jason Weiss, who has acted professionally since 1998, the play presented him with his most strenuous role yet.
The Hippodrome picked its season last spring but had only two weeks of rehearsal for “The 39 Steps,” an unusual amount of preparation time for Weiss.
Every time Weiss stepped on stage and into Hannay’s character, he said he left each act with sweat sticking to his T-shirt and his body begging for rest.
For him, acting with a dialect enhances the experience, and, as a longtime fan of film noir and British theater, the play spoke to his interests.
“The Brits have more composure than us,” Weiss said. “The best moments are when Hannay lets his guard down now and again, and you really see the cast’s chemistry.”
It’s the fun of playing Richard Hannay that drove him to accept the role, Weiss said, and it’s also a chance to honor Hitchcock while he’s at it.
“When I found out I had this opportunity, I knew I would have fun,” Weiss said. “The day I say, ‘I have to go to work,’ is the day I’ll quit.”
For more information, including showtimes and ticket prices, visit http://thehipp.org.
