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THE       STEPS   George Street Playhouse

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"A great piece of theatrical fun...Mark Shanahan, who has played his share of dashing heroes on the stage... has directed the George Street production with a welcome sense of warmth and organic playfulness."

-- New York Times

 

"The news about the George Street Playhouse production of The 39 Steps could not be better... The execution is flawless. Director Mark Shanahan...has done an outstanding job here...there is no gainsaying the terrific work that Shanahan has done."  -- Talkin' Broadway

 

"Even if you have previously succumbed to the comical bits and pieces that fill up The 39 Steps, the production now at the George Street Playhouse should convince you, as it did me, that its endearing charms can actually be improved upon, as directed with unerring sturm und style by Mark Shanahan..." -- Curtain Up

 

"Director Mark Shanahan has expert timing, as do all of these actors..."  

-- QOnstage

 

Mark Shanahan

"Mark Shanahan as director, Jen Waldman as movement director...With so much going on, it would be easy to end in a near miss, however, this one’s a direct hit."  -- New Jersey Hills

Featuring Howard McGillin, Stacie Lewis, Michael Thomas Holmes and Mark Price

THE 39  STEPS   (2017) Alley Theatre

"Mark Shanahan directs this piece with the precision and sense of humor without which it would be impossible. I hope he enjoyed it; otherwise I would expect him to be taking a much-needed rest at Happy Acres. He may need that anyway... Warren and Price are a tour de force, fearless in their performances... nothing short of amazing... A delight! -- BroadwayWorld

 

"Some of the most entertaining choreography and stagecraft I’ve seen outside the realm of the dance musical—wind sequences, bicycle rides, running across terrain—and the priceless scenes in which the actors must mimic being on a bouncing train!...  this is a  fast-paced, standing-ovation-deserving summer fare." -- Houston Magazine

 

"A breath of fresh air...  it forces director Mark Shanahan and his talented cast to rely almost solely on their physicality and comic timing to captivate our imagination... A gorgeously timed train scene that has the pair playing dozens of characters.. is actorly simpatico in motion."   -- The Houston Press

 

"Have Mark Shanahan direct the show. He knows how to spur the show out of the gate and keep it breathlessly moving along its track.... clock-work perfection...Remember how long it's been since you laughed yourself into spasms... a laugh-filled, family friendly night at the theater!" -- The Courier 

"Uproars of laughter and awe, the kind that prompts one to look about to fellow audience members with shared gasps of appreciation....The show’s run has been extended due to popular demand, and it’s easy to see why." -- Houston Family Magazine

Featuring Elizabeth Bunch, Todd Waite, Bruce Warren and Mark Price photos by Christopher Diaz

THE 39  STEPS   Virginia Stage Company

“FLAT OUT FUNNY! All four actors are brilliant physical comedians, guided by Mark Shanahan”

                                 - Virginian Pilot

 

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“The production delivers a farcically genius rendition... Director Mark Shanahan, his production team, the cast, and crew all exhibit pure aptitude in bringing a tantalizing Broadway-quality performance.”  

                      - HR Spotlight

With James Taylor Odom, Steve Pacek, Kristen Hahn, Michael Di Liberto. 

Costumes by Jeni Schaeffer, Lights by Aly Docherty, Set by Craig Naoliello

THE 39  STEPS   Mile Square Theatre

"Simply the best entertainment around. you will see folks falling out of their chairs...  Honestly, there was a woman in the audience who was crying... Yes, this is a comedy, but she was laughing so hard she was crying... Don’t miss it. Bring everyone you know. Buy tickets for people as holiday gifts... get ready to laugh about it for a week afterward."                                                                                                                                                                                     --H-Mag

 

"Ingenious. Captivating. Hysterical. Thoroughly entertaining. Those are just some of the adjectives which describe Mark Shanahan's production of "The 39 Steps"...  A nimble cast under the sterling direction of Mark Shanahan... [his] assured direction  comes from having played the Hannay role on Broadway and directing the play throughout the country... an ingenious, crafty, irreverent production."                                                                                                                                                                                                                          --BroadwayWorld

 

"[A] brilliantly stripped-down trifle... Director Mark Shanahan keeps the action moving at a furious clip, save for a few moments when Hannay gets to woo the women being thrust into his life... I laughed, and I laughed a lot, and there’s really not more you can ask

                                                                                                            --NJ ARTS

 

Featuring Joe Delafield, Evan Zes, Alycia Kunkle and Zachary Fine. Photos by Joe Epstein and Jason Flamos

THE       STEPS   Alley Theatre

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"Mark Shanahan's direction is breathlessly brisk and playful. "  -- Houston Chronicle

 

"Director Mark Shanahan, who first caught our eye at the Alley (appropriately enough) acting in a play called Hitchcock Blonde, keeps the action ripping along through Hugh Landwehr’s properly reverential but also tongue-in-cheek set." -- Houston Arts Week

 

 "Laugh-out-loud funny, no question about it...mighty difficult to resist."  -- Houston Press

 

Featuring Todd Waite, Elizabeth Bunch, Jeffrey Beane and John Tyson

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THE       STEPS   Adirondack Theatre Festival

39

"Mark Shanahan has done a masterful job of staging and directing...Through it all he and his talented cast have a light touch and maintain the perfect tone for the material."  -- North Country NPR

 

THE       STEPS   Cape Playhouse

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"Director Mark Shanahan and the four Cape Playhouse actors milk this concept for all it's worth!  Works like a charm."   -- Cape Cod Online

"Director Mark Shanahan has pulled off a neat trick here, because this sort of rollicking comedy depends upon clockwork precision. Shanahan keeps everyone on track, choreographing hysterically intricate maneuvers and drawing fearless, over-the-top performances from a talented cast." 

 -- Barnstable Patriot

 

"Directed by Mark Shanahan, the crazy, adventurous plot is well-staged and fluid."  -- Cape Cod Today

Mark Shanahan

Alley photos by Jann Whaley and Wesley Hilt.  

George Street Photos by T.Charles Erickson

 

Howard McGillin and Margaret Loesser Robinson

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