The 39 Steps – Location, Tickets, Reviews
First, there was a book, then a movie (Hitchcock’s classic 1935 thriller), then the comedic play adapted by Patrick Barlow, and now a never-ending stream of revivals of The 39 Steps. The most recent revival in New York City from New York Deaf Theatre is a unique performance that combines American Sign Language and spoken dialogue.
Richard Hannay finds himself in a serious pickle when, one night at the theater, Annabella Smith–a mysterious foreign woman claiming to be a spy–employs his help to escape from a pair of assassins. That night, Hannay finds Smith dead in his London flat; consequently, he becomes the number one suspect in her murder. While on the run, he attempts to uncover the truth behind her demise and the meaning behind her cryptic last words, which only pulls him deeper into an intricate plot involving a villainous secret organization known as the 39 Steps.
Barlow’s parody play features four actors who portray over 140 characters. New York Deaf Theatre’s version uses the same construct and the four actors communicate using American Sign Language. They are accompanied by four voice actors who speak the signed dialogue, and act as the source for all sounds in the production (from the howling of the wind and squeals of farm animals, to the background chatter at a cocktail party).
A family-friendly show, The 39 Steps is a modern, entertaining take on the slapstick, Hitchcock-inspired farce. It’s really quite amusing.
LOCATION
Tada! Theater
15 West 28th Street
New York City
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RUNNING TIME
2 hours, one intermission
TICKETS
$18; $15 for students & senior citizens, (click here for tickets)
DATES
Performances through November 24, 2013
REVIEWS
The Examiner
The act of using sign language on top of playing what was a fast moving show, slows down everything considerably––it doesn’t snap along the way it should. Not that the actors involved aren’t pouring their full energy into their performances––they are an enthusiastic bunch . . . The whole thing looks a bit like a final scene presentation from a college acting class, but the production serves its greater purpose of offering a theatrical experience for a deaf audience in their own language.
CAST & CREW
(partial list)
Written by Patrick Barlow
Directed by James W. Guido
Featuring Olivia Howell, Carm King, Katie Mueller, Anne Tomasetti, Forrest Webber, Jake Winn, and Garrett Zuercher