Review: Pittsburgh CLO Invites Audiences to Journey THE 39 STEPS

A murder. A mystery. A few laughs with your wine and cheese. All of these are offered at the CLO Cabaret Theatre, where for the next few months, audiences can witness The 39 Steps on stage.

Four actors embody over 100 characters in Patrick Barlow's adaptation of The 39 Steps. The play is based off the Alfred Hitchcock movie of the same name and stays true to the movie's plot. Richard Hannay (Allan Snyder) is accused of murder and travels across the British Isles on a mission of national security, constantly trying to debunk the mystery of the 39 steps. Along the way, he encounters men and women who wish to aid, impede, kill, and seduce him on his heroic quest.

Forced laughter seemed to surpass genuine enjoyment for me, but the actors themselves tout much talent on the CLO Cabaret's stage.

Luke Halferty is making himself at home at the cabaret, recently starring in the CLO's production of First Date. His accustomedness to the space proved beneficial to the performance, exaggerating his characters to the perfect degree for the small theatre.

Quinn Patrick Shannon, like Mr. Halferty, plays dozens of different characters during the nearly two-hour performance. He steals the show with his ability to diversify his talents, portraying everyone from a Scotsman to a thug to a wife that eerily resembles Mrs. Doubtfire (arguably one of my favorite parts from the show).

Megan Pickrell and Mr. Snyder join the two "clowns." Although she plays two other parts during the show, Ms. Pickrell's portrayal of Margaret stuck with me. It is as adorable as it is convincingly authentic. Mr. Snyder is the only actor with one character to portray. His part was not written to be the funniest or to overshadow the other characters; Mr. Snyder has to hold the show together, to see his story through to the end. He does a job that suffices.

There is a difference between cheesy and tacky. With cheesiness, an audience can enjoy their laugh with an eye roll, but with tacky, an audience can uncomfortably smile at a crass joke. For me, this production was the latter.

There were so many opportunities for the show to be great, but the overall vision never seemed to be reached. Sure, it is funny if Mr. Snyder wiggles out of his chair underneath a dead body, but would it not be funnier if he were to roll the body down his legs, sneeze whilst his head is between the body and chair, or extend the struggled encounter for a quarter minute longer? This is just one example of a plethora of missed opportunities by all the actors. The CLO's production stayed on the safe side of the line, but the decision never paid off, resulting in only a few well-earned chuckles and laughs from me.

This is in no way meant to be a condemnation of the show or of the CLO, but rather a challenge: a challenge to do better and create superlative productions nearly 400 miles from the Great White Way.

In the end, as with any great mystery, it is up to the audience to decide if the payoff was worth the journey it took to get there. Will you be able to solve the mystery of the 39 steps? Or will memory fail by the time of the reveal? Find out now through August 14.

To see or not to see score: 5/9; Approved Show

Photo Credit: Archie Carpenter

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