The 39 Steps: A Review

Pablo Picasso once said, “Good artists copy; great artists steal.” Good artists may copy and great artists may steal, but I think the best artists are the ones who can change the art to look like it was their idea in the first place. This was the exact impression I received after watching the recent Spring Arbor University (SAU) production of “The 39 Steps.”David Blackburn and Jen Letherer’s hilarious show was exactly what it promised to be: an epic tale based upon the Hitchcock classic. It had all the bones of Hitchcock’s gem: the plot, an iconic MacGuffin and up-close emotion, while simultaneously being a new masterpiece in and of itself.The backbone of the fresh humor infused in SAU’s production was a well-known essential to witticism: good timing. Whether it was watching the biting spats between Hannay, played by David Blackburn, and Pamela, played by Liz Sutton, or the memorable comedy of two men on a train, played by Evan Jarvi and Trevor Tracy, the impeccable timing and enthusiasm of the cast carried the show brilliantly.In a flashback to old Hollywood, credits and previously filmed scenes were projected onto a screen in black and white. This really gave the show the feel of being a top-rate production; the story was no longer confined to the limitations of the stage, but the audience was able to watch the lovable Hannay jump over streams and walk through tall grass during his adventure.Also, the hilarious and often ingenious use of people as props, whether as lamps, windows or airplanes really added to the mood. Such a choice could have made the show seem immature or ostentatiously unrealistic if the actors had not fully committed, but everything was carried out in a humorously serious way, which made the “human props” an essential part of the story’s appeal.

All in all, “The 39 Steps” was a fantastic celebration of talent, entertainment and ingenuity, and I commend the crew on their innate ability to create a crowd-pleasing show.