Riotous Laughter at ’39 Steps’

The Westmont Theatre Arts Department staged a hilarious version of John Buchan’s “The 39 Steps” that brought plenty of laughs through an unrelenting barrage of creative set-design gags and physical comedy. Director Mitchell Thomas masterfully squeezes out every laugh while navigating a plot that doesn’t take itself seriously. This was good lighthearted fun at its best. Over six performances, more than 600 people saw the performance in Porter Theatre.

“There's a saying in theater: ‘Dying is easy, comedy is hard,’” Thomas says. “While it certainly was a lot of challenging work for the actors, crew and creative team to produce ‘The 39 Steps,’ it surprised me how much of a source of joy the process of working on this show was for me and the entire team. In a challenging season of ‘elections, wars, and talk of wars,’ going to rehearsal was a balm of connection, laughter, creativity and joy.  So, while we were all very proud of the final production and deeply enjoyed playing for audiences, I remain grateful for the process of working on ‘The 39 Steps.’”

Bravo to the fine cast of Joel Michelson, Kieran Williams, Alaina Dean, Jake Siaki and Tucker Howard who adeptly switched between numerous characters, each with a distinct accent.

The Westmont theater will stage a reading of Larissa Fasthorse’s “The Thanksgiving Play” on Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre. The free performance, which follows a group of theater makers as they try to write a politically and historically correct play about the first Thanksgiving, is directed by Madeline Fanton, a visiting assistant professor.