In 1935, Alfred Hitchcock made a thrilling film adaptation of The 39 Steps, based on John Buchan’s melodramatic 1915 tale of espionage and murder. In 2005, playwright Patrick Barlow adapted Hitchcock’s film into a hilarious four-actor version, requiring the quartet to play good guys, bad guys, minor characters and occasional props. In 2013, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is producing the Broadway hit with four of its funniest actors — Billy Chace, Justin McCombs, Miranda McGee and Nicholas Rose — who pull off quick changes, tongue-in-cheek dialogue and crazy theater magic.
Thursday-Sunday through Aug. 11. $22-$35. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, 719 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-381-2273, cincyshakes.com.
