Arts Center Theatre’s ‘The 39 Steps’ pairs Flynn and Isern

Coming to the Arts Center Theatre in Marco Island beginning October 25th is The 39 Steps, a thrilling production that boasts a stellar local cast featuring the dynamic duo of Matt Flynn and Sharon Isern, with remarkable support from Melissa Hennig and Olivia Rodriguez.

Seasoned local theater veteran Matt Flynn assumes the role of Hanney. Matt has graced local stages in various productions with The Studio Players and Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers. However, what makes this production of The 39 Steps even more special is that it marks Matt’s sixth onstage pairing with his beautiful fiancée, Sharon Isern. As Matt humorously puts it, “You gotta love show business!”

The talented Sharon Isern takes on the roles of Anabella, Schmidt, Margaret and Pamela. Her impressive portfolio includes standout performances in productions at the Laboratory Theater of Florida and Theatre Conspiracy. She has consistently wowed audiences with her versatility in productions like America’s Sexiest Couple, On the Farce Day of Christmas and The Bare Truth with The Marco Players and Church & State, Saved by the Bell and One Slight Hitch at The Studio Players.

The demanding and highly creative roles of the Clowns in The 39 Steps will be expertly handled by Melissa Hennig and Olivia Rodriguez,  Hennig is a dedicated community theater performer with approximately seven years of experience. Olivia Rodriguez is a 14-year-old Marco Island resident who shines as one of 39 Steps’ clowns. Olivia’s youthful energy and enthusiasm, coupled with her undeniable talent, promise to make her portrayal of various characters in The 39 Steps a highlight of the production.

Chris Dayett, the performing arts instructor at Marco Island Academy, is directing the production. He has used the opportunity to involve his students from his Production Design & Marketing classes at Marco Island Academy. “Students read the script to The 39 Steps in class, and did a complete script analysis on the play,” Dayett relates. “They brought a lot of design ideas to the table, a few of which actually appear in the production. Most notably, is the unique ‘black and white movie’ design concept. Almost everything you see in the play is grayscale, making this an homage to the 1935 Hitchcock film of the same name. Students built the set, researched and executed painting techniques to give all of the featured scenic pieces a distinct gray pattern. Combine that with a little Jim Swanker pixie dust for those ‘how can we make this happen in our space’ moments, and you have a very creative and innovative set that serves the story well, and offers a few surprises. Additionally it has been fantastic to have three Marco Island Academy students working on the show as stage managers, Isabella Diaz, Canon Miller, and Kai Samuel.”

The 39 Steps runs from October 25 through November12, 2023 at the Arts Center Theatre in Marco Island, Florida. Tickets are now available for this production at https://www.marcoislandart.org/the-39-steps/ or by calling 239-394-4221

Marco Island Center for the Arts brings a wide variety of arts to its community through art exhibitions, engaging educational programs for adults and children and a diverse assortment of events. The Art Center serves as a professional and financial driver for visual and performing artists and educators through exhibition, performance and teaching opportunities while being a catalyst that fuels economic development, an understanding of cultural diversity and community cohesion.

October 24, 2023.