Photo Flash: The Alley Theatre Presents THE 39 STEPS

Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have The 39 Steps, a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre. This two-time Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning treat is packed with nonstop laughs, over 150 eccentric characters - played by a prodigiously talented cast of four - an on-stage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers and some good old-fashioned romance. In The 39 Steps, 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. A riotous blend of virtuoso performances and wildly inventive stagecraft, The 39 Steps amounts to an unforgettable evening of pure pleasure. The 39 Steps was the longest running comedy recently on Broadway and is ideal for audiences of all ages.

The 39 Steps, adapted by Patrick Barlow and directed by Mark Shanahan, began performances Friday, March 5, opens officially Wednesday, March 10 and runs through Sunday, March 28 on the Hubbard Stage.

The 39 Steps is sponsored by Supporting Sponsors Baker Botts LLP and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and Honorary Producers Connie and Roger Plank. The Alley Theatre is supported by the 2009-2010 season sponsor Continental Airlines, the official airline of the Alley Theatre.

The 39 Steps features Alley Theatre Artists Jeffrey Bean, Elizabeth Bunch, John Tyson, and Todd Waite.

The design team for The 39 Steps includes Scenic Design by Hugh Landwehr (Alley's Rock ‘n' Roll, Eurydice, Mrs. Warren's Profession, Cyrano de Bergerac), Costume Design by Alejo Vietti (Alley's Our Town, Rock ‘n' Roll, Mauritius, Eurydice), Lighting Design by Rui Rita (Alley's Sherlock Holmes and the Crucifer of Blood, Eurydice, A Christmas Carol, Cyrano de Bergerac), Sound Design by Ryan Rumery (Alley's Fully Committed), and Dialect Coach Stephen Gabis (Alley's Rock ‘n' Roll, Journey's End, Broadway's The 39 Steps).

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets to The 39 Steps start at $21. All tickets to The 39 Steps are available for purchase at www.alleytheatre.org, at the Alley Theatre Box Office, 615 Texas Avenue, or by calling 713.220.5700. Groups of 10 or more can receive special concierge services and select discounts by calling 713.315.3346. The added convenience of reservations by phone or Internet is available for a nominal fee. Tickets purchased in person at the Alley Theatre Box Office have a $1 building restoration fee.

Photos by Jann Whaley