MASQUERS KNOWS THE STEPS TO
A SUCCESSFUL, MAGICAL COMEDY
Alfred Hitchcock gets a good-natured but thorough pummeling in The 39 Steps at Masquers Playhouse in Point Richmond, through December 8.
Sam Barksdale, Amy Stringer, Damion Clark
A small theater in a quaint town at the eastern end of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, Masquers is known for taking chances and succeeding. That’s exactly the case with this frenetic four-actor production, an adaptation by Patrick Barlow. The classic noir narrative originated with a 1915 novel by John Buchan, and was adapted for the big screen in 1935 by Hitchcock. From there it became a radio play, a TV series, and a popular stage comedy that tests the limits of comedic actors.
Gene Mocsy, Amy Stringer
We first meet bored man-about-town Richard Hannay (Gene Mocsy), who accidentally falls into one unlikely scenario after another—from being falsely accused of murder to exposing an international spy ring. After meeting an ill-fated mysterious German woman Annabella (Amy Stringer) at a night club, he ventures from London to Scotland and out on the moors in search of an answer to the recurring question: “What are the 39 Steps?”
Gene Mocsy, Amy Stringer
Mocsy is superb as the dapper, self-deprecating Hannay. Stringer is marvelous as the three women in the story, played out on what is almost a bare stage with black-box props. The real stars of this show are Samuel Barksdale (“Clown 1”) and Damion Clark (“Clown 2”) who between them portray dozens of incidental but essential characters in a quick-change orgy. The pair are outrageous, first coming onstage as nightclub announcer (Clark) and his star attraction Mister Memory (Barksdale). The two take great delight — and delight their audience — as they portray thugs, spies, police, Scottish innkeepers, professors, and more, sometimes with only seconds to change costumes, and in a couple of instances, changing right onstage. They are brilliant.
Gene Mocsy
The far-ranging spoof of Hitchcock includes plenty of references to his many classic films, including The Man Who Knew Too Much, North by Northwest, Rear Window, and others, each comical reference provoking chuckles from the film-savvy audience. All of it is incredibly clever, but it’s the rapid pacing and masterful performances by Barksdale and Clark that put this 39 Steps over the top. Directed by John Maiot, it’s a delightful production.
Gene Mocsy, Sam Barksdale, Damion Clark
photos by M. Padua
Damion Clark, Sam Barksdale, Gene Mocsy, Amy Stringer
The 39 Steps
Masquers Playhouse, 105 Park Place in Point Richmond
Thurs at 8 (Nov 21); Fri and Sat at 8; Sun at 2
ends on December 8, 2024
for tickets, call 510.232.4031 or visit Masquers
Barry Willis is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association and president of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. Contact: [email protected]