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style="FONT-FAMILY: "><FONT face=Arial>Blank Canvas’ ‘The 39 Steps’ takes flight
but cuts corners</FONT></SPAN></B></P>
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face=Arial>Bob Abelman</FONT></SPAN><SPAN
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face=Arial>Cleveland Jewish News, The News Herald, The Morning
Journal</FONT></SPAN></I><SPAN
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face=Arial>Member, International Association of Theatre
Critics</FONT></SPAN><SPAN
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: "><FONT face=Arial>In
the opening scene of <SPAN style="COLOR: "><FONT color=#333333>Patrick Barlow's
aerobic stage adaptation of the classic, 1935 Alfred Hitchcock spy movie “The 39
Steps,” dashing and abundantly bored Richard Hannay seeks “something mindless
and trivial, something utterly pointless” to amuse himself. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>So he goes to the
theater.</FONT></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><FONT
color=#333333 face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><FONT
face=Arial><FONT color=#333333>Once there, he inadvertently gets mixed up with
double agents, accidently uncovers a plot to steal vital British military
secrets, gets framed for murder and, of course, takes it on the
lam.</FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><FONT
color=#333333 face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><FONT
face=Arial><FONT color=#333333>Audiences also seeking something mindless will
find it in Blank Canvas Theatre’s thoroughly entertaining but relatively
low-risk production of this 2008 Tony Award-winning play.
</FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><FONT
color=#333333 face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><FONT
face=Arial><FONT color=#333333>“The 39 Steps” is a romp from beginning to end --
a parody of film noir romantic thrillers with their low-budget aesthetics,
gentlemanly heroes with mysterious femme fatales, dark and misty ambiance, and
abrupt twists and turns.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Every
cinematic cliché, every cloak-and-dagger genre convention, and every
Hitchcockian quirk is accentuated in this immensely clever play.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><FONT
color=#333333 face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><FONT
face=Arial><FONT color=#333333>All this is handled nicely by the talented cast,
consisting of Joe Kenderes as our square jawed and thin-mustached hero Richard
Hannay, Rachael Swartz as all of the female protagonists found in film noir
storytelling, and Kevin Kelly and Michael Prosen as everyone else.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><FONT
color=#333333 face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><FONT
face=Arial><FONT color=#333333>However, much of the work’s theatrical
extravagances and creative indulgences are rendered a tad less theatrical and
indulgent in this production.</FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><FONT
color=#333333 face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </P>
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more of this article, go to </SPAN></I><I
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