COTTAGE GROVE — Cottage Theatre’s play, “The 39 Steps,” is an action-packed spoof of all things Hitchcock. The performance, which runs through Dec. 22, is a remake of a film directed by Hitchcock but reinterpreted as a comedy.
And there is no doubt about it: this is a hilarious play!
Audience member Carla Levinski said she attended “The 39 Steps” at Cottage Theatre because she loves Hitchcock. When Levinski attended her first Cottage Theatre play, it was because she knew someone in the production. She continues participating because “they do different sorts of things from Eugene.”
Levinski brought her friend Kim Gates, who works in Springfield, to the play.
“I like the intimacy of the small venue. This is where theatre really started, the roots of theatre,” she said.
She also explained that the chairs are comfortable and that she likes the legroom at Cottage Theatre.
These weren’t the only audience members coming from Eugene to see this play. Multiple people I interviewed said the same thing. Audience members repeatedly talked about liking the intimacy of the theatre and being familiar with the actors after seeing them in multiple productions. Patrons are loyal to this theatre.
The premise of this fast-paced whodunit is set in 1930s London.
In a music hall, a shot is fired, and Richard Hannay finds himself involved with Annabella Schmidt, a supposed damsel in distress on the run from foreign agents.
Soon, Richard embarks on an adventure to prove his innocence of murder while trying to break up a spy ring.
Along the way, he meets beautiful women, some of whom try to seduce him—and some who help him with his mission, though sometimes reluctantly.
Actor Tony Rust, playing Richard Hannay, delivers his lines with comedic timing. Actress Laurel Merz plays Annabella Schmidt, Margaret, and Pamela. Each character is played so uniquely that it is believable they were different characters.
It is obvious the director, Bil Morrill, likes comedy. “The Producers” was the first play he directed at Cottage Theatre in 2023.
He has also worked behind the scenes in over 20 productions and acted in various plays. He is the vice president of the Cottage Theatre Board and assistant director of the College of Arts and Science Academic Advising office at UO, where he helps students find the tools they need to be successful.
When asked why he wanted to direct this play, Morrill said, “I’ve always enjoyed comedies and murder mysteries, and this play brilliantly combines the two. It’s also a production that relies on minimal sets and props, focusing squarely on the actors’ storytelling abilities and their talent for multitasking.”
The 39 Steps is a play of minimalism in both the set and the actors. Although the blurb from the publisher says four actors play 150 characters in the play, Morrill clarifies that two of the actors play over twenty parts each throughout the play.
That still is plenty!
“In one scene alone, they seamlessly switch between four to five characters, changing ‘hats’ as the action continues,” Morrill explains. Kari Welch and Charlotte Merz are described as each playing “clown.”
Clowns might be another way of demonstrating they bring comedic life to the many characters they play. They are hilarious in the caricatures that they capture.
Acting apparently runs in the family, as Charlotte Mertz is the daughter of leading actress Laurel Merz.
“The cast has truly risen to this challenge with enthusiasm and dedication,” Morrill said. “I believe ‘The 39 Steps’ offers something for everyone—romance, intrigue, murder, daring escapes involving trains, planes, and automobiles—all while keeping you laughing from start to finish.”
Sarina Dorie is the arts writer for The Chronicle.
