Fri 3/4-Sat 3/19
What is Blank Canvas Theatre? For one, they’re a theater production company brave enough to take an unusual rendition of Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps to the stage, starting this weekend.
Since the theater is at 78th Street Studios, we can expect Blank Canvas Theatre to be different. When I explored further, I found out its goal is to produce quality productions at affordable prices for new theater audiences. In other words, they want to bring theater back to life for those who don’t patronize more expensive and less accessible theater.
The 39 Steps, directed by Patrick Ciamacco, is described on the website this way: “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 theater! This 2-time Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning treat is packed with nonstop laughs, over 150 zany characters (played by a ridiculously talented cast of four), an onstage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers and some good old-fashioned romance!”
That great description precludes me from trying to describe the play any other way. We have a murder (it’s Alfred Hitchcock, after all), lots of slapstick, a soap opera plot and a cast that pulls it off. Kevin Kelly, Joe Kenderes, Michael Prosen and Rachael Swartz will be in character on the stage.
But wait! Blank Canvas’s season is just starting with The 39 Steps. Upcoming plays include Silence! the Musical, Laughing from the Fringe (two one-act plays–The Screenwriter Dies of His Own Free Will and Birds of Paradise), The Wild Party, Glengarry Glen Ross, Cabaret and The Laughter League.
If you can’t make it to the first play, plan to check out Laughing from the Fringe sometime between 4/15-23, part of the Factory Series of new works. Directed by Christine Howey, this production showcases one-act plays from the 2015 New York International Fringe Festival. Both sound interesting: in Birds of Paradise, “Zoology intertwines with memories of summer love in this heartfelt rom-com about knowing when to fly away”; in The Screenwriter Dies of His Own Free Will, a screenwriter is facing “the big deadline in the sky” while a studio executive would kill for that deadline.
Cool Cleveland contributor Claudia Taller asked Patrick Ciamacco some questions about the theater. Here’s some of what he had to say.
Claudia: What would you say has been the theater’s biggest accomplishment so far?
Patrick: Since opening five years ago, almost every season there has been one production named as one of the top 10 productions of the year in all of Cleveland by the Plain Dealer.
Claudia: Why do you think audiences return over and over again?
Patrick: Audiences return to BCT because we strive to do shows that have not been done in Cleveland before or have not been done in quite a long time. Also, Our annual season is diverse, designed to attract many different types of theater-goers – whether you prefer American classics, new works, offbeat musicals, drama or comedy, you’ll find something to enjoy at Blank Canvas Theatre. It’s our goal to interest people in different types of performances, encouraging them to break out of their entertainment boxes!
Claudia: What are you looking for when you choose plays to put on stage?
Patrick: I try to choose shows I would want to see or I think is good for Cleveland. It’s my goal to choose shows that are not being done here in town. Often you’ll see the same show being produced at three different theaters in the same season. I specifically run our season on the calendar year so most theaters have already announced their season before we announce ours. This way I can be sure we are doing something different. My main goal is to choose our classic and our pop-culture show. Then I build the season out from there based on a goal to produce works that are not often done.
Claudia: What are your future goals?
Patrick: Blank Canvas Theatre is always growing. In the last five years we have already done many changes to benefit our audience, ranging from a popcorn machine to brand new lobby. This season we have completely changed our seating. We now have movie theater-style seating including cup holders! We continue to do what we can to make our audience experience as great as it can be while focusing on professional quality shows. All at one of the lowest ticket prices in town.
If that sounds intriguing, you can guarantee your seats by purchasing a $90 season pass. In addition, special deals throughout the year keep season ticket holders coming to 78th Street Studios for cabaret performances and concerts.
There are other ways to support Blank Canvas Theatre. Donations allow the theater to continue its mission of producing professional quality theater at affordable prices and will help the organization improve its space and produce higher quality shows. Names of supporters are added to their playbill and on the supporters page of the website where donations are met with great applause. Non-financial support of services and supplies are also welcome. Contact patrick@blankcanvastheatre.com for more information on how to support this theater that’s in its fifth season and wants to keep going for a long time.
Order tickets at Blankcanvastheatre.com or by calling 440-941-0458 within one hour of scheduled shows. The 39 Steps runs through Sat 3/19. Tickets are $18. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm.
Cleveland, OH 44102