Hitchcock Played for Laughs at LCLT

Fans of Alfred Hitchcock will certainly recognize the the title of the 1935 Hitchcock thriller, "The 39 Steps." It's a pretty serious movie and, like most of Hitchcock's work, there is a lot of suspense mixed in with the storyline.

This time around, though, the whole story, murder and all, is played for laughs. In the original movie, according to Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB):

"A man in London tries to help a counterespionage agent. But when the agent is killed and the man stands accused, he must go on the run to both save himself and also stop a spy ring which is trying to steal top secret information."

The stage version of the show has the exact same plot, but it's funny. All through the show, there are references to other Hitchcock movies. Then, there is the cast. In the original, there was a long list of characters that are all introduced to add to the suspense and the plot. The stage version is the same, with the exception of the fact that all the character are played by four people.

The cast consists of: Alex Landry, Greg Stratton, Clay Hebert and Joseph Comeaux. Each one of the actors plays several people, and there are a lot of quick costume and set changes, and the cast handles all those chores for themselves live on stage. Sometimes, the actors must change characters in just a fraction of a second and, believe me, this quartet of actors does it. Even the sound person up in the booth gets involved in the story. Of course, the sound tech for the show is my very own daughter, Annie.

The play is fast-paced and downright funny. The cast even recreates the harrowing chase on a train to perfection. You might want to watch the original classic film before you go see the play. It will really add to your enjoyment.

Hats off to LCLT. A first rate job on making Hitchcock's taught thriller funny and fun to watch. The show runs through this coming Sunday. If you want a thoroughly enjoyable experience, just go see "The 39 Steps".

Go here for ticket info, showtimes, and information. You'll also find information on being involved in upcoming productions. You don't have to be an actor to get involved with LCLT. There are tons of fun things to do behind the scenes.