Asbury Theatre Produces Suspense Comedy with “The 39 Steps”

February 5, 2024

The Asbury University Theatre Program presents a marvelous fast-paced comedy which takes Hitchcock’s 1935 hit spy movie and turns it on its ear. This faithful, but hilarious retelling by Patrick Barlow, features Richard Hannay (Malachi Bullock), an ordinary Brit whose chance encounter with a mysterious woman (Jazmyn Lorentzen ’27), lands him in a world of international intrigue.

Comedic twists abound as Hannay flees to Scotland to clear his name, encountering a ridiculous number of colorful characters and obstacles along the way. It’s a show full of theatrical delight as furniture, props and actors constantly transform to provide laughter and suspense until the climactic secret of ‘the 39 steps’ is revealed.

Director Carol Anderson says, “This show is a gift of laughter to our community providing a lift out of the winter doldrums. I love this cast and their commitment. Working with them has been a joy. Being at a university means it’s also educational theatre, and everyone is learning on their feet and having a lot of fun. We can’t wait for the engagement of audiences to take it to the next level.”

“The 39 Steps” cast brings together Asbury students, alumni and community creating a talented hardworking ensemble.

“This show is an adventure for anyone wanting to laugh and enjoy the world of the 1930s,” said Jeremy Simmons ’18, an Asbury MBA student who plays an assortment of characters from a traveling salesman, to a constable, music hall MC, ancient Scottish inn keeper and more. “Think Sherlock Holmes meets Saturday Night Live with trains, romance, and whodunnit twists along the way.”

Performances of “The 39 Steps” run from Feb. 22 through March 2 with evening, matinee, and weekend performances in the Greathouse Theatre (in Asbury’s Miller Center for Communication Arts). Tickets are $10 for students/senior citizens, $12 for faculty/staff and $15 for general admission: https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/asbury-university/65a82645e39f840e4489c66c.

The Asbury University Theatre Program uses a broad spectrum of skills to prepare well-rounded, service driven artists, with curriculum that combines areas of study with hands-on training in performance, design and production. The Theatre Program interacts closely with the film & television programs allowing students to move between acting or designing for stage to adapt those skills for acting or designing for film. Learn more: www.asbury.edu/theatre.

The Asbury University Communication & Theatre Department offers three majors (in Communication, Health Communication, and Theatre) and five minors (in Communication, Leadership, Public Relations, Social Media, and Theatre). This summer, Asbury theatre students will participate in acting intensives at The Globe Theatre in London. In the past, they have performed original plays at the renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland and explored Pinewood Studios. To learn more about Asbury’s Theatre program, visit https://www.asbury.edu/academics/departments/communication-theatre/.