Thank you, Mr. Bones
by Michael Dresdner
Bryan Bender, Deya Ozburn All photos by Kate Paterno-Lick
You can accurately describe The 39 Steps, currently at
Lakewood Playhouse, in just two words: madcap romp. I’ve reviewed iterations of
it over the years in three different theaters and this one, directed by John
Munn, is by far the best.
Steps is loosely based on Hitchcock’s famous 1935 “chase”
thriller of the same name, but is given the extreme comic treatment a la
Shakespeare Abridged. In other words, the plot – a man is roped into being both
fox and hounds while trying to prevent a secret formula from getting out of the
country – is almost completely irrelevant. It is nothing more than a platform
on which to haul out and deliver every comic tableau you can imagine.
L to R: Deya Ozburn, Bryan Bender, Frank Roberts, Paul Richter
Along the way there are homages to Hitchcock in words, music,
and images that are far too numerous to mention. You’ll probably pick up on
Vertigo, Psycho, Strangers on a Train, Rear Window (as a curiously portable prop)
and North by Northwest (as a shadow puppet show,) but that barely scratches the
surface. Chances are you won’t catch them all, which may be a damned good
excuse to see this play more than once.
Though versions vary, this one had a decidedly vaudevillian
flavor, and Munn has resurrected almost every piece of comic shtick that’s ever
graced the old time stage. Thus, it requires a flawless comic cast supported by
innumerable (and excellent) costumes (Diane Runkel), clever props and set
pieces (Virginia Yanoff and Lex Gernon), lighting (Kristin Zetterstrom) and
sound tricks (Nena Curley.) Even the booth gets into the act with gags like
intentional sound cue screw-ups, so here’s a tip of the hat to stage manager
Jenifer King.
L to R: Frank Roberts, Paul Richter
Mostly, though, a property like this requires an ideal cast,
and this one has it in spades. The leading man, and the only actor who plays
only one role, must first be as charming a heartthrob as Mad Men’s Jon Hamm,
and Bryan Bender, who plays hero Richard Hannay, is just that. From the moment
he steps out on stage and flashes a winning grin you can almost see that
cartoon trick of a flashing glint of light off his teeth. That’s not all,
though. He also brings flawless timing,the athleticism for very physical
comedy, and a finely tuned annoyance when things (intentionally) go wrong on
stage. Thus his perfectly nuanced glances at the booth when phones keep ringing
after being picked up or lights that refuse to turn off and on, and his
impatience when he tires of the slow-motion staging of an elaborate fight scene
well before his fellow actors. In short, he’s the perfect Hannay.
His three primary female counterparts are played by Deya
Ozburn, who morphs from exaggerated Germanic vamp Annabella Schmidt, through
sweet but back-stabbing Pamela, to unsophisticated but helpful Margaret. As
with all the roles, there are tons of physical demands along with the comedic
ones, and Ozburn can keep up with the rest of this talented cast just fine, thank you very
much.
L to R: Bryan Bender, Frank Roberts, Deya Ozburn
Anchoring all the other 100-odd parts are the two
rubber-faced, loose-jointed clowns, who switch personas, voices, costumes, and
even genders faster than a nymphomaniac can drop her dress. Frank Roberts and
Paul Richter do the honors here, and they are superb, creating wildly different
and hilariously bizarre characters in the blink of an eye, flashing both
tirelessly and seamlessly from one to another. These four make up the entire
cast, and believe me, they make this show.
It’s spring, the sun is out today, and this is the perfect
accompaniment to the mood. The 39 Steps is as pure a night of goofy,
easy-to-swallow fun as one can divine. As the song says, pack up all your cares
and woes and let these four delightful comics treat you to a couple of hours of
mindless, non-stop hilarity.
The 39 Steps
April 17 through May 10, 2015
Lakewood Playhouse
http://www.lakewoodplayhouse.org/
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