(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Princeton Summer Theater's 2026 season continues with The 39 Steps, a noir farce full of danger, mystery, and laughs. The production runs Thursdays through Sundays from July 2-18. The play is based on the 1935 Hitchcock film, a mystery thriller about a man who is mistakenly swept up into a world of spies and murder.
The 39 Steps, adapted by Patrick Barlow, first debuted in 2005 and was later Tony-nominated for Best Play in 2008. The play, inspired by the original idea of Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon, remakes Hitchcock's world into one portrayed by only 4 actors, creating a whirlwind of stagecraft and fun.
The cast includes Jacob Schorsch (Richard Hannay), Shaelin McKenna (Annabella, Margaret, and Pamela), Joseph McLean (Clown 1) and Jordan Rashdan (Clown 2).
The show is directed by Erik Bloomquist, an award-winning New England stage and film director. His stage credits include productions at Ivoryton Playhouse, Ozark Actors Theatre, Priscilla Beach Theatre, Trinity College, and others. Erik's film credits include Founders Day, She Came from the Woods, and Long Lost. Erik is also a two-time Emmy winner (Outstanding Director & Writer) for his nationally-syndicated PBS mystery/comedy television series The Cobblestone Corridor.
Performances take place Thursday-Saturday at 7:30pm and Saturday-Sunday at 2:00pm at the at the Hamilton Murray Theater. Tickets are available for purchase online. Hamilton Murray Theater (also known as "Theatre Intime"), inside Murray-Dodge Hall on Princeton University's campus.
Princeton Summer Theater's children's show, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown by Clark Gesner from Charles M Schulz's comic strip "PEANUTS" is currently running weekends until August 1st. The final show of the 2026 season is True West by Sam Shepard, opening July 23rd and running weekends through Saturday, August 1st. For more information, click here.
Princeton Public Library is hosting Princeton Summer Theater: Live at the Library, a moderated conversation with the actors and director about the behind-the-scenes making of the show. The event will be opening night, July 2nd at 5:30pm. Learn more here.
Princeton Summer Theater was founded by a group of Princeton University students in 1968, and has been an institution dedicated to training the up-and-coming leaders of the theater world ever since. Housed in the Hamilton Murray Theater on Princeton Campus, it has helped launch the careers of hundreds of young artists. Notable alumni include Tony award winners Bebe Neuwirth, Broadway writer Winnie Holzman, and Hollywood movie star William Hootkins.
