Tuesday, Nov. 20, was the last showing of Riordan’s Fall play, “The 39 Steps,” enacted on the stage of Lindland Theater. It was a packed house after the final production date was pushed back to the last day of school, before Thanksgiving break due to poor air quality.

The play, which starred Jalen Viray ’19 who played Richard Hannah and Lisette Trinidad who played Pamela, was a comedic rendition of the rather ironic movie produced by Alfred Hitchcock.

Prior to the play, Isabela Rivera-Gonzalez, ICA ’21 said, “It is like working with family.” She added, “Working on a Riordan production hmm… I think it’s cool, seeing the family that we built. We don’t go to the same school but working with them is a lot of fun.”

Backstage, members of the stage crew, who work the magic behind the sets with visual effects and enticing music, were preparing for the play to begin.

Stage manager Amanda Neubarth, Mercy ’19 said, “I have worked with Riordan for about three shows now and it’s been very enjoyable working with Riordan’s cast and crew.” Many of the girls from other schools have enjoyed being involved with Riordan productions, and have been involved for the past few years. They continue to return because of the positive energy and family orientated aspects.

Once the play began, it was like being sent back into a different era. The entire ambiance changed once the lights shut off and the spot lights turned on. Details from the sound effects, props, lighting, clothing and speech set the tone for this early 20th century play.

In addition to the well thought out production, the antiquated humor of the play was hilarious. Descriptively unconventional, the actors’ ability to portray these dated characters was phenomenal! The comedic aspects weren’t the only interesting occurrences, as the romantic facets displayed left the crowd in awe.

Many romantic scenes and the frequent escapes of Mr. Hannay left the audience enthralled. The four hour play kept each viewer on the edge of their seats from beginning to end, implementing comedic mannerisms, with a bit of action, romance, and irony. Overall, the various aspects created a masterpiece of a play.