La Grange Area Teen Theatre Ensemble’s spring play will be “39 Steps,” based on the classic 1939 Alfred Hitchcock movie.
The movie version was based on the 1915 novel by John Buchan, and was also made into a play that wowed LATTE director and producer Felicia Pfluger, who called it “a murder-mystery thriller to delight and confound.”
“When I saw “The 39 Steps” in London’s West End, I witnessed a powder keg of pure, unadulterated creativity,” she said. “I just knew LATTE had to do this. Picture this recipe; a Hitchcock masterpiece mixed with a juicy spy novel, blended with Monty Python mayhem, baked in comedic chaos.”
The show will run from May 7 through May 9 at the Lyons Township High School South Campus, 4900 S. Willow Springs Rd.
LATTE’s version, which uses six actors to play 120 characters, was adapted for the theater by Simon Corbel and Nobby Dimon and later rewritten by Patrick Barlow. As it was originally adapted, the stage play called for the entire cast of characters to be played by only four actors.
The narrative involves main character Richard Hannay stumbling upon a female spy, Annabella Smith, who claims she had uncovered a plot to steal British military secrets, and is subsequently knifed in the back. Hannay is blamed for the murder, sending him on a wild chase to Scotland, where he eventually exposes the spy ring and finds love in the process.
The stage version comes off as a sort of screwball comedy; a parody of the spy genre, blended with romance and dry British humor. Scenes that are suspenseful or romantic in the movie come off as hilarious or absurd on stage.
Pfluger credited the six cast members with being “insanely talented” in producing a show with “vaudevillian virtuosity.”
Westchester resident Nathan Bell, a sophomore at Triton College who plays Hannay, said he is “a huge fan” of the original Hitchcock film.
“In personality, Richard is somewhat shy and awkward — a bit like myself — but he is also witty, charming and confident, despite his awkwardness,” Bell said. “And he’s actually a ladies man, which is really fun to act out because it enhances the humor of the show.”
Isla Baker, 15 and a veteran of several LATTE productions, plays several roles, including Professor Jordan, Mr. Memory, Clown 1 and others.
“The most I’ve played in a single performance was three,” she said. “In this show I play a variety of comedic characters, a total of seven. I find playing many roles challenging and enjoyable because of the variety in terms of different personalities and physical tendencies … It’s a farce and unique and I’m excited to bring this show to life.”
Juliette Sosa-Dykstra, 16, of Willow Springs, has a whopping 10 different roles in the production, including a clown, milkman, salesman, and two different police officials.
“This is so fun to do because I absolutely love action-adventure movies,” she said. “I love the variety of roles and how they reflect the different parts of humanity. … People will love the surprising plot twists.”
La Grange Park resident Gianna Parolin, 16, is another actor playing a variety of different roles in “The 39 Steps,” among them a police officer and an elderly politician.
“Playing all these roles is really chaotic,” she said. “I’ve never had so many costume changes. But it’s also really fun. All of my characters have different personalities and mannerisms, not to mention voices.”
LATTE’s production of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The 39 Steps,” runs at 7 p.m. May 7, 8, and 9, along with a matinee performance at 2 p.m. May 8. Information is at lattetheater.com.
Hank Beckman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
