A Note from the Director by Ali Tallman
Kalen Edean (left) and Rayner Gabriel (right) in New City Players’ production of The 39 Steps.
Welcome. It’s a genuine pleasure to share The 39 Steps with you. This play arrives on our stage trailing a rich and complicated history–it’s a playful adaptation of Hitchcock’s film, which was itself an adaptation of the novel often credited as the first English spy thriller. It’s a story that has been reshaped across time and medium, and in Patrick Barlow’s wonderfully theatrical version, we’re invited to embrace all these layers at once–with a love letter to vaudeville and comedy tossed in for good measure. The shadowy suspense of noir, the pulse of adventure, and the glow of a classic romance are all filtered through the boundless, inventive language of the stage.
Beneath the whirlwind of quick changes and deliberate chaos, we found a story that feels surprisingly personal. We follow Richard Hannay, a man we meet in the midst of an existential crisis in pre-war London; utterly disconnected from his own life, numb to a world too large and too troubled, plagued by rising facism. It’s a feeling that might be familiar. (No? Just me?) But rather than fatiguing, I find the play suggests that hope might be found not in avoiding struggle, but in engaging with meaningful struggle head-on.
Hannay is swept-up in a violent, farcical ejection from the sidelines. To survive, he must shed his rigid, respectable identity and stumble into a new way of being–one that values adaptability over cynicism, and openness over stoic reserve. He discovers the spirit of the theatrical clown: humility, vulnerability, and the resiliency to keep trying, no matter how many times he fails. In the end, his greatest discovery isn't a spy secret, but a profoundly human one: that authenticity is found not in how we are perceived, but in caring about something so much, we are willing to look truly foolish.
The cast and crew of The 39 Steps with director Ali Tallman (center).
So, while this is a night of suspense and laughs, it’s also an invitation. In a world that often demands perfection and poise, what if we chose to be human instead? The world doesn't need more perfect, respectable bystanders. It needs people willing to try something, even if it feels silly. Action, after all, is the antidote to despair. And respectability is often a waste of time–let’s choose to march on, not with the grim determination of a soldier, but with the hopeful, open-hearted resilience of a clown who knows the show must go on.
As you watch our company fling themselves into this story, I hope you feel empowered to embrace a little of that playful vulnerability for yourself. To live a vibrant life, we have to lose our fear of being wrong or embarrassed. The world might be a better place if we could find ways to be a little more serious about being less serious. So, enjoy the chaos and the courage. And maybe, later, ask yourself: what would a clown do?
Thank you for being part of our audience. Let the adventure begin!
THE 39 STEPS
Adapted by Patrick Barlow
Directed by Ali Tallman
Co-Producers: David Christopher & David Munro
Take a Hitchcock masterpiece, blend it with Monty Python’s madness and you get The 39 Steps, a fast-paced comedic thriller for anyone who loves the magic of theatre! This two-time Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning treat is packed with nonstop laughs, dozens of zany characters (played by a ridiculously talented cast of four), an onstage plane crash, missing fingers, and some good old-fashioned noir romance!
WHEN
October 4-19, 2025
PRICE
$40-$45 Tickets
$5-$25 Pay What You Want Preview on Oct. 3rd
WHERE
2304 N. Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors
2 Hours + a 15 minute intermission
Ages 10+
Make sure to plan your visit after booking tickets!