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FARMINGTON HILLS — Oakland Community College Theater students are bringing Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film to life, with a comedic twist.
The college is presenting “The 39 Steps,” a Tony Award-winning satirical play, based on both the Hitchcock film and John Buchan’s novel of the same name.
“(The 39 Steps) is a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theater,” said OCC theater director and Broadway actress, Jennifer Little.
In the play, an innocent man, Richard Hannay, is accused of a crime that he didn’t commit and must work to clear his name. His efforts are complicated by the fact that the majority of the other characters have been blindsided into believing that he is guilty.
The OCC production of The 39 Steps utilizes the talent and skills of a mere 10 actors to perform over 150 “zany” characters. According to Little, aside from being enticed by some “good old-fashioned romance,” the audience will bear witness to an onstage train chase, see fingers go missing, and be captivated by the utilization of handcuffs.
Cooper Miller, 20, of White Lake, stars as Hannay, and is featured in all but one scene.
“It’s non-stop. I don’t really leave the stage,” Miller said. “Being in every scene has just been a challenge to take it all in and give everything everyone else is giving…which is just like chaotic, fun energy of a bunch of different characters switching all throughout (the play). To take it all in and react constantly is a really big challenge, but it’s fun because you are just in the moment for two hours. It’s insane, but it’s very fun.”
Actress Julie Kline, 30, of Lake Orion, performs as three different characters, two of them simultaneously.
“I black out, really,” Kline said of her simultaneous performances as both Mr. and Mrs. McGarrigle. “It just feels good to play two characters side-by-side. It’s crazy, like very chaotic, hence the blacking out, but yeah, it feels good.”
Kline said the dual roles presented her with some challenges. Along with being able to instantly and smoothly transition between Mr. and Mrs. McGarrigle, she also had to perform them with a male and female Scottish accent.
She said it was difficult at first, but the set lines and the constant repetition during rehearsals made it easy for her to develop a Scottish accent.
“It was challenging, but I just listened to YouTube videos and watched “Outlander” a little bit,” Kline said.
As with all Little productions at OCC, the show is designed to allow people of all abilities to enjoy the play, with the inclusion of student sign language interpreters as shadow actors. As shadow actors, the interpreters follow each of the performers to translate their spoken word into American Sign Language for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
The 39 Steps opened March 13 at the Smith Theater, located at 27055 Orchard Lake Road in Farmington Hills, on the campus of OCC. It will run Thursday and Friday evenings until March 21.
All performances start at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at eventbite.com or at the door. General admission tickets are $10. For seniors and attendees who aren’t OCC students, the cost is $5. There is no charge for OCC students, graduates and employees.
