You don't have to be an Alfred Hitchcock buff to get The 39 Steps, an absurdly silly comedy based on the Hitchcock classic of the same name. Four ridiculous—but talented—actors wing their way through a 1930s movie thriller, playing everything from constables and spies to young newbies and brassiere salesmen. The show is hilariously funny, and all the audience needs to know is how to sit back and laugh.

Inthe show, a man with a boring life meets a woman with a thick accent who says she's a spy. When he takes her home, she is murdered. Soon, a mysterious organization called "The 39 Steps" is hot on the man's trail in a nationwide manhunt that climaxes in a death-defying finale!

It's energized by crackerjack timing; think Monty Python on Starbucks… lots and LOTs of Starbucks. The nimble actors switch characters at the drop of a hat, literally murmuring “hat” if one of them hasn’t switched into the proper topper on time. It's reminiscent of a juggling act, as the four actors play an unbelievable 150 roles in a cascade of comedy. 

The creativity of actors on the sparsely outfitted stage will leave you appreciating the power of suggestion and imagination. When the characters are wandering the windy moors, they duck heads and flap their coats incessantly. For an escape from a “rear window” (you remember that Hitchcock, don’t you?), a character simply steps through a square window frame he’s been holding.  A sequence atop a speeding train will have you hoping no one falls as they hop from coach to coach. And be sure to watch for the scene where the main character, Hannay, is escorted through a mansion with many doors: it’s just one door that keeps moving around the stage as our hero and his oddball hostess walk around looking for the master of the house.

Family friendly and uproariously funny, The 39 Steps is side-splitting fun. Don’t miss it!

Single tickets forThe 39-Steps are available at The Capitol Theatre box office: 509-853-ARTS or 800-325-SEAT after September 6, 2010.