PR2017 Sep 5
Theatre Tuscaloosa 9500 Old Greensboro Road #135 • Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35405 • PHONE 205.391.2277 • FAX 205.391.2329 • theatretusc.com
September 5, 2017
Contacts:
Adam Miller, Managing Director
205.391.2925/amiller@sheltonstate.edu
Harley Sabbagh, Media Contact
205.391.2277/hsabbagh@sheltonstate.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THEATRE TUSCALOOSA ANNOUNCES FALL COMEDY BASED ON HITCHCOCK MYSTERY
TUSCALOOSA, AL – Theatre Tuscaloosa will present its season opener, The 39 Steps, September 22-October 1 in the Bean-Brown Theatre on the Martin Campus of Shelton State Community College (9500 Old Greensboro Rd.).
Based on the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock movie that was adapted by Patrick Barlow from the novel by John Buchan, The 39 Steps is a mixture of a spy novel, a Monty Python skit, and a fast-paced whodunit. This two-time Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning mystery was adapted for the stage by Nobby Dimon and Simon Corble and is packed with nonstop laughs, over 150 zany characters, an onstage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers, and some good old-fashioned romance.
The 39 Steps is directed by Michael Walker, Assistant Professor of Theatre at the University of Montevallo. Walker directed Theatre Tuscaloosa’s 2015 production of Hairspray and performed his one-man show, Bubba, as part of the SecondStage season in 2013.
“The 39 Steps celebrates the imagination and asks the audience to believe they are visiting dozens of locations, such as London and the Scottish Moors, while using only a handful of set pieces,” says Walker. “There is a lot of heart to the show, and it is full of fun.”
The cast includes Drew Baker, who directed The Real Queen of Hearts in February 2017; Dylan Guy Davis, who was last seen as Houdini in Ragtime; Jeff Wilson, who played Willie Conklin in Ragtime; and Gary Wise, who was last seen in Regrets Only in 2016. Though small, the cast includes some of Tuscaloosa’s top-notch talent.
Baker, Wilson, and Wise are all members of Theatre Tuscaloosa’s new T. Earle Johnson All-Star Cast whose members have been honored repeatedly for their outstanding performances. Davis was honored recently with his first T. Earle Johnson Award for his portrayal of Franz Liebkind in the 2016 production of The Producers.
The 39 Steps production team includes Meredith Parr, stage manager; Wheeler Kincaid, production designer; and Jeanette Waterman, costume designer.
Theatre Tuscaloosa’s 2017-2018 season is made possible by support from Shelton State Community College, the City of Tuscaloosa, Mercedes-Benz, WVUA23, the Alabama State Council on the Arts, and Townsquare Media.
The 39 Steps will be presented September 22-October 1, 2017, in the Bean-Brown Theatre on the Martin Campus of Shelton State Community College. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturday, September 23.
Matinee performances will be at 2:00 p.m. on Sundays; Wednesday, September 27; and Saturday, September 30. A paywhat-
you-can final dress rehearsal will be presented on Thursday, September 21 at 7:30 p.m., all proceeds of which will
benefit the Charlie Dennis Memorial Scholarship Fund. A school matinee performance will be held on Wednesday,
September 27 at 9:00 a.m.
Tickets are $19 for adults, $17 for seniors and members of the military, and $14 for students and children. Special pricing
is available in advance for groups of ten or more. Season tickets also are available for a limited time and offer
subscribers a fifteen percent discount over regular ticket prices, unlimited free exchanges, and other benefits.
Tickets and more information are available at www.theatretusc.com or at 205.391.2277.
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Theatre Tuscaloosa is a 501c3 not-for-profit community theatre located on the Martin Campus of Shelton State
Community College. Theatre Tuscaloosa has been enriching the greater Tuscaloosa community since 1971 through
quality theatrical productions and educational outreach.