Perry Players presents ‘The 39 Steps’

Think Alfred Hitchcock and suspense immediately comes to mind.

Hitchcock once took a John Buchan novel and made it into a movie. Patrick Barlow then adapted the film for the stage with Tony-award winning success.

That show, “The 39 Steps,” is coming to the Perry Players Theatre at 909 Main St. beginning Friday with eight performances over the next three weekends. Directed by Michael Qualls, “The 39 Steps” has a cast of hundreds … played by all of four people … and is a tale of murder, mystery and, believe it or not, hilarity.

Qualls is a full-time criminal justice professor at Ft. Valley State University and is retired from the U.S. Army. He has also worked in law enforcement and security, and in addition to all of that Qualls has been involved with Perry Players off and on for the last nine years as an actor and director. “The 39 Steps” is his fourth directing project.

“What is the 39 Steps?” asked Qualls, kind of summarizing the plot. “It was originally a novel back in the 1930s. Then it got adapted by Hitchcock as a drama. It is a spy story used in a number of offshoots for different spy stories. I saw it (on stage) a little over five years ago in an off-Broadway setting and was absolutely bowled over by it.”

What “The 39 Steps” is, compared to this setting, is anything, Qualls said, that has to do with physical comedy and outrageous humor.

“It’s not the same as the Hitchcock thriller,” said Qualls. “It had a lot of 1930s melodrama associated with it. The play plays off of that melodrama and tries to change the focus to comedic outcomes without seeming to be comedic.”

Jason Niederkorn plays Richard Hannay, the main character wrapped up in an almost “North By Northwest” type situation. Christina Pykles takes on all three female roles, including the femme fatale Annabella.

“The cast is fantastic,” said Qualls. “They have put in a great deal of work, time and effort despite flu and cold season and other commitments. Community theater is a voluntary organization, and everybody comes in with the aspect of performing something the public is going to enjoy. I think we have a true winner in this particular play.”

Todd Wilson and Bill Johansen are listed as “Clowns,” and Qualls said combined they will be 146 characters. That is not an exaggeration.

“They switch in and out of characters (from milkman to constable to salesman to theater performer),” said Qualls. “In the scene at the railway station they are playing three or four separate characters one right after the other. The audience has to get involved with this. When they switch character, they are switching hats. It’s incredible to watch the focus and dedication they have to put in it.”

There’s also entertaining sound effects, background narration and period stage props that go on and off the set.

The dates for “The 39 Steps” are Feb. 12-14, Feb. 19-21 and Feb. 26-27. Friday and Saturday starting times are 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees are at 2:30 p.m. Go to perryplayers.org for more information.

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