BWW Interviews: The Four Voices Behind The Many Faces of THE 39 STEPS

Combine a dash of Hitchcockian mystery with pinch of Monty Python comedy and you get Off-Broadway's The 39 Steps. The show pulls a bit from all the genres including suspense, romance, and action, blending them all together in this impressive adaptation. Most impressive of all is the cast of four actors who, against all odds, breathlessly and hilariously reenact each of the characters, locations, and famous scenes in Hitchcock's 1935 film thriller. These miraculous four are John Behlmann (as Richard Hannay,) Cameron Folmar (as Man #2,) Jamie Jackson (as Man #1,) and Kate MacCluggage (as Annabella Schmidt/Pamela/Margaret.) 

The oh so talented cast took a few minutes off from their busy days to chat with BWW about what it is like to take on so many characters every night.

How does it feel to participate in such a large-scale show with so few co-stars?

Cameron Folmar: Well, it is a challenge, but it is loads of fun. It happens so fast and is so frantic, you know, the play is put together so beautifully and so specifically that it already has this great structure that we can follow so easily. This is what makes it possible to play all these characters and to do it so quickly.

John Behlmann: I've had people ask me if I have a hard time keeping people straight since everyone is switching around playing so many roles, and since I am the only person who plays just one role, it feels like being in a huge play. I go on this whole wild adventure, and I meet so many people who are distinct and unique, so only in those stray moments does it cross my mind that I am actually playing with only three other actors.

Kate MacCluggage: It is fun to be in such a large show with a small cast. We feel like a little family, especially by now because we have been doing it for a while. We have a really tight bond; my three co-stars are really good guys and coming to work is such a pleasure. There is this feeling sometimes on stage where it does feel like more than four people, especially when Jamie and Cameron get going.

Jamie Jackson: Having such a small cast makes you very much aware of the supporting roles you are playing and that you are telling a story. It isn't all about you. You know the terrible cliché that there are no small parts only small actors? It isn't true. Because there are small parts and there are great actors who know how to tell a story. The story is what we are devoting our energy to. You go and you get off and you know you have to make the stakes high for Hannay to be able to keep his momentum going. It is easy to get distracted from the forward momentum, and you need to keep it moving. Everyone is one crucial piece in the jigsaw puzzle.

Which character do you most enjoy playing?

Cameron Folmar: Oh gosh, it changes over time! You sort of fall in and out of love with them  depending on what you make them do, if they don't change for a while you just get bored. And then you'll do something that is quiet new and fresh and you can't wait to do it again. For me one of the best ones to play is Ms. McGarrigle, it isn't as choreographed, it doesn't have specific moves so it allows me to play a little bit more. So that and of course, the Professor.

Kate MacCluggage: I love playing Margaret, The Farm wife. She is so sad! She is so adorable and so sweet and she has the prettiest little theme song; I think it is so lovely. I have a great time with all my characters but there is definitely a special place in my heart for sweet little Margaret.

Jamie Jackson: For me it varies night to night; it depends on how I am feeling. You go into the theater and one night you may be in the Mr. Memory type of mood and then the next night you are feeling a Ms. Jordan mood so some nights you just tend to respond to certain characters better than other nights. And then you find a new affection for that character. But I do love each character because they bring out different parts of my own personality. Mr. Memory is sort of like this underground mole that gets to come out and see the light, so I enjoy playing him.

As the only actor who plays just one role do you find that it is easier or harder for you during the show?

John Behlmann: Since I am playing one role, it is easier in the sense that a lot of things tend to happen to me. But then on the other hand it is so draining to be doing Hannay the whole time; I have to listen really intensely to all the characters around me. I do so much running around and climbing, I am constantly at attention.

Do you ever get confused?

Cameron Folmar: I never get confused. What terrifies me is that I have been doing it for so long. I was in the Broadway company as well; I get scared that I don't know what I am saying anymore! I just stand there and I go, "what was that word? That doesn't make any sense!" I can do it in my sleep, you know? And that's when you say, okay, maybe I should slow down and listen to what I am saying. You get carried away with that kind of thing, but then you just relax and you are fine.

John Behlmann: I haven't had an instance of confusion. There is so much hat switching and knowing where to be when, everyone is so tight, that there were certainly some instances of "where am I going again?" But other than that you really get the flow of the show in your body and it just happens naturally and easily.

Kate MacCluggage: We started rehearsals with the choreography. This really helped because we got it into our bodies first. So even when you have little brain hiccups your body still knows where to go and what you are doing. That is the smartest way to attack a show like this, to start physically and fill in the acting work from there.

Jamie Jackson: The crew backstage is just tremendous; we have to give credit to them. In the beginning they would literally pull my hat off and push me back on stage and say "go!" and I'd say "yes, but who am I?" So they were and are such a tremendous help. But we haven't really gotten confused on stage; the body seems to remember things better than the brain does, your body just reacts and remembers.

Are there any characters that are portrayed by your co-stars that you wish you were able to play?

Cameron Folmar: I have played Jamie's part on Broadway, so I can say from experience that I love playing Mr. Memory and Ms. Jordan... I miss those characters. Occasionally, since I teach all the new people the movements in the play, I do get to play Jamie's parts. We have one person understudying all three male roles, which is a huge undertaking, so it is kind of grand when one of us gets to step in and try it out as well.

John Behlmann: I would love to play Ms. McGarrigle because she is one of the looser characters and has the freedom to sort of play around in a way that seems to be a lot of fun.

Kate MacCluggage: One of Jamie's women, the Professor's wife, I would love to play her. She is so very proper and all of that. Plus she has a great little hair-do and skirt suit, I just think it would be so much fun to play her.

Jamie Jackson: Actually, Cameron and I have discussed swapping roles; I have always wanted to have a run at the professor. Most of the characters I play don't have as much of an opportunity to have an arc, to be on stage in their own scene in their own moment. Of course Hannay would also be fun and extremely challenging but I don't think I have enough hair for that role. Everyone in the cast is so good in their parts, it is just astounding to watch them act around me. They really care about the project, and we all share the same passion for our art and our characters; it is such a pleasure to be involved in this project with these three people.

---

Alfred Hitchcock's THE 39 STEPS is currently playing at the New World Stages/ Stage 1 (340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues).

Tickets ($69.50 - 89.50) are available through Telecharge at 212-239-6200 or online at www.telecharge.com. All prices include a $1.50 facility fee. Performances are Monday, Wednesday - Friday at 8:00 PM, Saturday at 3:00 and 8:00 PM, Sunday at 3:00 and 7:00 PM.