See photos from the play here.
If necessity is the mother of invention, then necessary adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols has been the impetus for invention and innovation all around us—and the Taft stage is no exception. Taft's spring play, The 39 Steps: Escape From a Live Radio Play, is invention at its finest.
"Our version of the play is an amalgamation of the 1915 book; the 1935 Hitchcock movie loosely based on the book; the 1937 radio play based on the movie; and the 2005 stage play, based on the movie with a large helping of British humor," explains Performing Arts Technical Director David Kievit. "The show begins on the radio set from this fall's It's a Wonderful Life and then we leave the radio set behind as the story proceeds. Thus the "escape" in the sub-title."
In building Taft's version of The 39 Steps, Kievit started with the 1937 radio play script, then and added a bit of the book and dash of the stage play. In all versions, the story revolves around a cryptic reference to "39 steps," spies, murder, and plenty of suspense.
Originally conceived as a four-character play, the Taft amalgamation stars Leo Kaplan '22, Elena Echavarria '21, Benjamin White '22, and Simon Messineo '21. Performances are Saturday, May 1 at 7 pm Eastern and Sunday, May 2 at 1 pm Eastern. There will be limited seating in Bingham. Both performances will be live-streamed, and can be accessed using the link below.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86065492807?pwd=Y25ML21RWkV0VW5aYzlnV2d1cEFLdz09
Passcode: 069723
Or One tap mobile :
US: +19292056099,,86065492807#,,,,*069723# or +13017158592,,86065492807#,,,,*069723#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 929 205 6099 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799
Webinar ID: 860 6549 2807
Passcode: 069723
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/k8D8UJJ0Z