CCCT Launches 56th Season with THE 39 STEPS Tonight

Contra Costa Civic Theatre (CCCT) opens its 56th season with the wildly theatrical homage to the films of Alfred Hitchcock, THE 39 STEPS. Directed by Michael Ross, who returns to CCCT after his 2014 smash-hit production of Spamalot, THE 39 STEPS plays from tonight, September 25 through October 18. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm at the theatre.

Based on the novel by John Buchan and adapted by Patrick Barlow, THE 39 STEPS mixes the Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, adds a dash of Monty Python, and whips up a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre. 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. This 2-time Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning treat is packed with nonstop laughs, over 150 zany characters (played by a ridiculously talented cast of 4), an on-stage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers, and some good old-fashioned romance.

The four-person ensemble for this production includes Justin DuPuis, who last appeared at CCCT in August: Osage County, as Richard Hannay; Ginny Wehrmeister, most recently seen as The Angel in Town Hall Theatre's Angels in America, as Annabella/Pamela/Margaret; with Miyaka Cochrane as Clown #1 and Andrew Calabrese as Clown #2, both in their CCCT debuts.

The production features costume design by Lisa Danz, lighting design by Courtney Johnson, and sound design by Michael Kelly.

Single tickets for THE 39 STEPS are available online at www.ccct.org or by phone at 510.524.9132. Adult tickets are $22 in advance, or $28 at the door; youth tickets for ages 16 and under are $11 in advance, or $15 at the door. Discounts available for groups of 15 or more. All performances take place at CCCT's intimate and fully accessible theatre in the Flynn building located at 951 Pomona Avenue (cross street Moeser) in El Cerrito. Free parking is provided in the adjoining lot.

Contra Costa Civic Theatre, established in 1959 by Louis and Bettianne Flynn and a group of dedicated volunteers and now under the artistic direction of Marilyn Langbehn, is a non-profit community theatre with its permanent home in El Cerrito, CA. Our mission is to provide affordable, high-quality entertainment to residents throughout the East Bay and provide training in performing arts for children and adults. We are proud to be an independent, self-sufficient organization presenting five Main Stage and thirteen youth productions annually in our intimate two hundred seat theatre.

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