It’s November, and Thanksgiving may be just around the corner… but so is MHS Drama’s newest production, The 39 Steps! The cast and crew have been hard at work since September to bring this show to life, and in just a matter of days, the show will open for an audience to see.
“A certain Englishman is bored with his life! To remedy this, he goes to the local theater to see a show,” says lead actor, MHS junior Jacob Whitworth, setting the scene in his interview. “Only, to his surprise, his whole world becomes VERY not boring in about an hour. For instance, during a train scene, Hannay breaks the fourth wall, kisses a random person, lies to the police, and literally gets chased ON TOP OF A TRAIN. The entire sequence is made up of some duct tape and a few boxes. It has a very ‘made at home’ feel.”
“The 39 Steps is definitely comedy oriented,” agrees sophomore Clara Fisher, who plays Policeman 2. “Your movements have to be big, your expressions have to be bigger, and your joy and whimsy is critical for you to be able to become your character.”
This rings increasingly true for the actors themselves, who must find ways to keep the show fresh and funny so that their audience gets a unique experience.
“Even after rewatching the same scene performed again and again, it still hits me like new,” Fisher says, and even attributes part of this feeling to the construction of the play: “It’s ridiculous- but kind of makes sense. The chaos is wrapped in such a pretty little bow, I doubt anyone could tell if something actually did go wrong.”
“You get to see raw reactions to things everyone has been working so hard with,” agrees sophomore sound-and-microphones crew member Bridget Tracy. “That’s always exciting, especially when you’re watching it on opening night.”
A show that leans heavily on the improv ability of those involved is bound to have its moments – there are a ridiculous few that even find their ways into being immortalized as quotes. Claire Burke, a sophomore lighting crew member, says that there are times when even being on crew can be chaotic.
“Some of my favorite memories are the cast improvising,” she shared, “Marley yelling at the lights, and quoting things and taping them on the wall. The most fun part has to be messing with the sound people, though. We like to annoy each other.”
However, the chaos can sometimes become stressful, a fact many in MHS Drama have had to learn how to deal with.
“My least favorite thing about being in theatre is that when people are stressed, they tend to take it out on those who are having a good time,” says junior Cadence “Candy” Petersen, who plays the Sheriff. “It kind of kills the mood.”
But even families – like that of theatre, which many have come to call home – have their differences, and working through the discomfort is key to building relationships, says Whitworth.
“I think as the years have gone by I’ve started knowing people better and better, and they’re more comfortable with talking to me as well. But it’s also really strange, because I’ve only just recently become an upperclassman, and being a leader is kind of confusing,” he admits. “Overall, though, I think I’ve helped strengthen the family dynamic that we have as a group, and it’s a blast.”
“My first show here in Muscatine High School was absolutely terrifying- I knew a select few people, and others I had only heard of from their amazing performances,” agrees Fisher, who has had a similar experience. “But, after doing a musical and now a play with them, I found they’re just students like me. I was very closed off in the beginning of it all, but now I can call most of the people in the cast my friend.”
This group of friends is raring to go, and are very excited to put on The 39 Steps for an audience in the coming week! They would like to thank their supporters for keeping them going during the whirlwind rehearsal process of this show, and they have something to tell you, reader…
“COME SEE THE SHOW!”
The 39 Steps will run from November 13-14 at 7 pm. Tickets can be purchased at Booktix. For more information, visit Muskie Drama. See you there!
