(The 39 Steps, directed by
Sean Daniels, is in production until 11/17/13 on the Geva Mainstage)
I finally had the luxury of sitting out front, with friends
and family (I went not only with my husband, but his sister, and our
friends/neighbors Eric (a Geva first-timer), and his wife Kathy), happily part of a
sold-out performance. Watching the
play unfolding, I was reminded of the opening number in A Funny Thing
Happened on the Way to the Forum: “Nothing with kings, nothing with
crowns; bring on the lovers, liars and clowns! Stunning surprises, cunning disguises…” This play has all of
that, in 90 fast-paced minutes.
I’ll never know how much my enjoyment of the show was
enhanced by the ‘cohort’ experience and having become intimately familiar with
the script. But judging from the
response of my companions (who were incredibly impressed by the talent,
versatility, and professionalism of the cast, and that it wasn’t simply a copy
of the Broadway production), and the rest of the audience, I suspect I would
have loved the show even if I’d had no knowledge of it going in. There are so many wonderful moments in
this production – the train scene with its rapid changing of hats, the
vertiginous chase scene involving the actors lying on the floor, the silly nods
to Rochester (I’m not sure everyone could hear when Aaron, as the Usherette,
offers someone in the audience a garbage plate) – the list goes on. The set was beautiful and simple, and
the lighting and sound really enhanced the play’s action – things I wouldn’t
have given much thought to before.
It also never occurred to me that these actors work without
understudies. I was a bit worried
after yesterday’s production note that Monica injured herself slightly, but there was no hint of that in her
performance today.
It has been a true privilege to serve as a ‘cohort’ on two
of Geva’s productions, and I will miss the daily e-mails from the production
managers with notes on how the rehearsal or performance went, house counts,
notes to the various departments about things that have broken, etc. The daily
recaps even comment on the audience’s reaction – how quickly they warmed up to
the show, or whether their attention held, or whether they didn’t laugh in
anticipated moments. (And Frank Cavallo's summary of the performance I attended reached the
same conclusion I did: “The actors fed off a big and appreciative audience and
delivered a very fresh and funny performance.”) Unlike traditional jobs, where you might get an annual review, cast and crew get nightly performance feedback, and strive daily
to improve their job of helping an audience suspend belief for several hours in
order to be entertained.
One of a comedy’s measures of success is a full house (with
the same number in the audience after intermission as before…) and
laughter. From the production
e-mails I’ve seen, and the favorable reviews I’ve received from
friends, The 39 Steps has been a great
success. So it turns out my friend Nanette was right when she said I’d enjoy
this show. But perhaps it’s just
as well that Mary Beth dissuaded me from seeing the Broadway production, so
that I could see this one with no preconceptions.
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