WRONG TURN AT
MOUNT RUSHMORE

Emma Rice sends Hitchcock’s classic thriller
spinning into musical-comedy territory,
with decidedly mixed results

Katy Owen in North by Northwest at A.C.T. (photo Steve Tanner)

American Conservatory Theater opens its 60th season with Emma Rice’s stage adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 classic North by Northwest, which starred Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint. Taking such an iconic film and adapting it for the stage is quite an undertaking.

Simon Oskarsson (photo Steve Tanner)

The movie’s basic premise is one of mistaken identity. New York City advertising executive Roger Thornhill goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies. Along the way, he falls for the mysterious Eve Kendall, whose loyalties he starts to doubt. For more than two hours, the movie is an action-adventure thriller featuring planes, trains, and automobiles on a journey across the continental United States. There’s a nail-biting finale battle at Mount Rushmore, where Roger Thornhill wins in the end, and all is right with the world.

Patrycja Kujawska (photo Steve Tanner)

Simon Oskarsson, Katy Owen and Ewan Wardrop (photo Steve Tanner)

A.C.T. takes this action-filled story and puts a different spin on it. To begin with, the movie’s many characters are condensed into seven actors, with all but one playing multiple roles. Danny Collins, playing Roger Thornhill, is the only actor playing one character. Taking over for Cary Grant is not an enviable task for any actor, but Collins is a pretty good stand-in. He’s tall, handsome, charming, and looks good in the suit he wears for most of the performance. Patrycja Kujawska strikes the right notes as Eve Kendall and various others. She’s gorgeous, mysterious, cool, and aloof. The more she resists Roger Thornhill, the more determined he is to win her over with his charms. Simon Oskarsson, as foreign henchman Valerian and others, is menacing and intimidating throughout the show. Karl Queensborough is definitely the best supporting actor of the ensemble, playing multiple roles, including villain Phillip Vandamm and Clara Thornhill, Roger’s socialite mother.

Karl Queensborough (photo Steve Tanner)

Trimming down the cast, though, is not the main difference in this production. Director and adapter Rice takes this classic thriller and presents it onstage almost as a musical comedy. To make up for all the cross-country locations in the movie, Rob Howell’s scenic design relies on a single main set, dominated by two revolving doors. Actors carry suitcases labeled to represent various locations and settings. It takes a while to adjust to this format rather than traditional changes of scenery.

Simon Oskarsson, Danny Collins and Bryony Pennington (photo Rich Soublet II)

The most significant change, though, is in how the story is told. The actors enter center stage seemingly speaking in verse. Movement is frequently accomplished by skipping and dancing on and off the stage. As with characters in a musical, their voices are louder and more animated while delivering their lines. The whole thing is presented tongue-in-cheek. To me, it resembles the movie-spoof sketches that The Carol Burnett Show used to do, such as “Went with the Wind!”

Danny Collins (photo Rich Soublet II)

At first, it’s difficult to know how to react to this presentation. Scenes feel like dance numbers, with grand entrances and exits that are met with applause. The actors smile and seemingly ham it up throughout the show. In presenting a classic Alfred Hitchcock thriller this way, Rice takes a big risk. Does it work? Is it entertaining? The results are definitely mixed.

Karl Queensborough, Simon Oskarsson, Danny Collins and Bryony Pennington (photo Rich Soublet II)

Most of the crowd on opening night seemed to enjoy it, but in the telling of the original story, much gets lost in translation. From a visual point of view, the aesthetics are interesting and hold one’s attention. From a story point of view: forget it. My plus-one had not seen the movie. I gave him a bare-bones outline of the plot over dinner beforehand. He really tried, but by Act II, he gave up trying to comprehend any semblance of a cohesive story. The plot can be difficult to follow amid Rice’s theatrical inventions.

Danny Collins and Evangeline Dickson (photo Rich Soublet II)

This hit-and-miss adaptation of North by Northwest is mostly a big miss. Note to Emma Rice: Next time you want to retell a classic Alfred Hitchcock story and make it entertaining, I recommend dangling a lot of birds from the ceiling and having them attack a pretty young blonde woman in a light-green Chanel suit. I’d pay to see that show!

Bryony Pennington, Simon Oskarsson, Katy Owen, Danny Collins, Karl Queensborough and Patrycja Kujawska (photo Rich Soublet II)

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North by Northwest
American Conservatory Theater
Toni Rembe Theater, 415 Geary St. in San Francisco
2 hours and 30 minutes, including intermission
Tue at 6:30; Wed–Thu at 7:30; Fri at 8; Sat at 2 & 8; Sun at 1
ends on October 18, 2026
for tickets ($25–$130), call 415.749.2228 or visit A.C.T.

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