Staff photo by Clay Schuldt Richard Hannay (Trevor Braget) is found by police officers (Ash Larson and Lucas Youngerberg) while hiding in Pamela’s (Katie Schwartz) train car.

NEW ULM– State Street Theater Company’s production of “39 Steps” is a play with 30 speaking characters with a cast of 10 — exactly how it was intended.

The play is based on the spy film “39 Steps” by Alfred Hitchcock, but the play is a comedy closer in tone to Monty Python. The plot features a larger-than-life story that moves between England and Scottland, with dozens of scene changes. The comedy comes from the fact that the play features a minimal cast.

The plot has follows hero Richard Hannay, played by Trevor Braget, who is pulled into the intrigue involving the spy organization known as the “39 Steps.” Braget is the only actor who plays a single role. Every other actor is playing a minimum of three characters. Actress Katie Schwartz plays all three women who become romantically entangled with Hannay. A few actors are even forced to play multiple characters in the same scene.

The cast and crew of the production have been hard at work preparing the the premier this weekend. It is a unique play with many challenges to overcome.

Director Andrea Broman said set design was the hardest part of bringing the play to life. There are several different locations in the story from apartment and trains to the Scottish moors and London theaters. The crew helped design modular sets that could be easily moved around on stage as needed. The cast assists with moving the backdrop and props during scene changes.

Broman said the greatest difficulty was going from small intimate spaces to large spaces. Hitchcock was able to transition from small intimate scenes to large-scale suspense scenes with ease on film, but on stage is a greater challenge.

Fortunately, the cast is prepared. Broman said she is working with a wonderful cast that is full of creative ideas. Broman said she loves it when the cast members has a idea for improving a scene.

Another fun aspect of “39 Steps” is the use of language. Since the film takes place in England and Scottland with characters from multiple nations, the actors had a dialect coach work with them. In addition to giving the story extra authenticity, it helps differentiate between characters.

Performances are 7 p.m. Friday, April 22, and Saturday, April 23, with a 2 p.m. performances Sunday, April 24.

General admission is $15. Tickets are available at Hy-Vee, New Ulm Chamber and online at statestreetnewulm.org.