The cast and crew of SPARC's production of "The 39 Steps: Radio Play" (Photo courtesy SPARC)
After months of rehearsals, the School of Performing Arts in the Richmond Community (SPARC) will stream the performance of its first audio production, “The 39 Steps: Radio Play.” The prerecorded production runs for approximately 45 minutes and will be aired in the style of a radio show.
The play is a retelling of the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock-directed film, which follows protagonist Richard Hannay and espionage agent Annabella Smith during an ill-fated evening. As Smith dies trying to stop a dangerous secret from getting out, Hannay must take on Smith’s mission. The cast is composed of 10 middle and high school students, most of whom play multiple roles. This was a challenge for the actors but “was part of the fun,” says Brendan Kennedy of SPARC, the show's director.
Two students from the show’s technical crew worked as foley artists to create sound effects for the performance, which included everything from footsteps to a car crash and gunshots. The entire cast will listen to their work for the first time as it premieres. This is “unique and fun, and perhaps a little nerve-wracking,” Kennedy says.
“The 39 Steps: Radio Play'' livestreams June 4 and 5 at 7:30 p.m. and June 6 at 2 p.m. on broadwayondemand.com. It will also air on VPM public radio, 93.1 FM and 107.3 FM locally, on June 19 at 8 p.m.