Murder, Spies, and Laughs at The Gaslight Baker Theatre

By Oliver Preston

Opening the 2023 season at The Gaslight Baker Theatre is “The 39 Steps” by Patrick Barlow. Based on the novel by John Buchan and the movie by Alfred Hitchcock, the show is directed by Doug DeGirolamo.

Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have The 39 Steps, a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre. This two-time Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning treat is packed with nonstop laughs, more than 150 zany characters (played by a ridiculously talented cast of four), an onstage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers, and some good old-fashioned romance.

“I love playing Margaret,” said Cynthia Cruser, who plays multiple characters in the show. “She wants so badly to ooze of sex appeal but has no idea what she’s doing.

“The sheer chaos of hurtling at full steam through a slew of moving parts is so thrilling.”

“My favorite part about the show has been being able to create and portray a variety of characters that reads like my 23 and Me ancestry report,” Newcomer Casey Wiggins said. “Embracing the chaos of being various characters, sometimes within seconds of one another, has been an absolute highlight for me and an experience I won’t be forgetting any time soon.”

The 39 Steps promises to be fun and exciting for everyone. “I think our audience is going to love the spartan approach that we’re able to tell this story. With only 4 actors on stage, we can take the audience on a journey from a humble apartment in London, onto a train leading to Scotland, into a car ride through the moors of Scotland all with a few crates,” says Wiggins.

The 39 Steps opens February 17, 2023, at 8 pm and runs Feb. 18, 24, 25, March 3, and 4 at 8 pm as well as February 19, 26, and March 4 at 2 pm. Tickets are $15 for Adults, $12 for Seniors (60+) and Veterans, and $7 for Students (up to 24). This show is sponsored by Frank and Jean Abernathy, and Sondra Chaible and Sharon Miller. Tickets and more information can be found at www.mygbt.org.