DENNIS, MA – Winner of two Tony and Drama Desk Awards (2008) and London’s Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy (2007), The 39 Steps is Broadway’s longest running comedy-thriller. Adapted from John Buchan’s 1915 British novel and Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 movie, The 39 Steps is a fast-paced comedy mystery with four actors playing over one hundred and fifty roles. When the hapless everyman character Richard Hannay attends a London theatre, he is thrust unknowingly into an international espionage plot and pursued by police for a murder he didn’t commit. From there, the story spirals into mayhem, mishaps, and an action-packed manhunt. Hannay is chased all over Scotland by the police as well as “The 39 Steps,” a mysterious spy organization that functions as a “MacGuffin,” an insignificant plot device Hitchcock employed to propel the action.
Kimberly Senior takes the helm as director for the Playhouse production of The 39 Steps, stating she’s been drawn to this play for a long time. “The sheer athletic force required of the four performers makes The 39 Steps the perfect intersection of Three Stooges-esque comedy, film noir, and action movie,” said Kimberly. “I can’t wait to share this thrilling piece with Cape audiences where hilarity and humanity exist side by side.” Senior directed the Broadway production of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize winning and Tony nominated play Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar. She also directed the HBO special Chris Gethard: Career Suicide and her work in audio has ranged from Marvel’s The Wastelanders to C13’s Ghostwrriter.
Taking on the central role of Richard Hannay is Kareem Bandealy who hails from Chicago. Kareem has been seen in over 70 productions across the country including the Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Court Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre Company (where he is an Ensemble Member and Creative Producer–New Engagements), Northlight, Paramount, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater, among many others. His play, Act(s) of God, had its world premiere at Lookingglass in 2019. Lori Vega plays the three mysterious women who Hannity has romantic entanglements with in his madcap adventure: the femme fatale Anabella Schmitt, the feisty and attractive Pamela, and the Scottish farmer’s wife Margaret. A New York-based stage and screen actor, Lori has worked with NYC theaters like Playwrights Horizons, Target Margin Theater, Theater Row, Classical Theater of Harlem, Ensemble Studio Theater, as well as many regional theaters. Her TV appearances include And Just Like That and Pretty Little Liars (HBO Max), FBI and BULL (CBS) and El Deafo, an animated series on Apple TV+.
Playing multiple roles as one of two “Clown” characters in the show is actor, playwright and storyteller Octavia Chavez-Richmond whose work has been featured at international film festivals and theaters. Octavia has performed with Theatre for a New Audience, The Playwrights Realm, Long Wharf Theatre, SpeakEasy Stage Company, and Trinity Repertory Company. Her selected screen work includes Free Guy, Knives Out, Who We Are Now (TIFF), and From Nowhere (SXSW). The other “Clown” character playing multiple roles is stage and screen actor Evan Zes, known for his TV roles in FBI: Most Wanted, The Blacklist, and Only Murders in the Building. In 2022, Evan made his Broadway debut in The Kite Runner. Zes has also been seen in such notable Off-Broadway productions as Incident at Vichy, Days to Come, London Assurance, and Around the World in 80 Days.
In addition to direction by Kimberly Senior, The 39 Steps features scenic design by Frank J. Oliva, costume design by Sarita Fellows, lighting design by Mary Louise Geiger, sound design by Joanna Lynne Staub, and casting by Stephanie Klapper Casting.
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ABOUT THE CAPE PLAYHOUSE
The Cape Playhouse at The Cape Center for the Arts was founded in 1927 by Raymond Moore. His vision was to create a smart, sophisticated summer theatre with some of the world’s most noted stage and screen professionals. The realization of Moore’s dream has since been recognized by The New York Times, acknowledging the Playhouse as the “Place Where Broadway Goes to Summer.” Today, 93 years later, the theatre continues to feature world-class talent in shows produced specifically for The Cape Playhouse and is one of Cape Cod’s premier cultural assets. In addition to professional live-theatre experiences, the not-for-profit Playhouse is committed to youth programs and education, serving the local community. The historic theatre is situated on an expansive 22-acre campus along with the Cape Cod Museum of Art and the Cape Cinema and is open for all to enjoy.
