Swan Song

‘39 Steps’ Clark’s last run in Northwest Arkansas

Coleman Clark
Coleman Clark

In less than two weeks, Fayetteville High School graduate Coleman Clark will be a freshman at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. It's a tough school to get in to, with a 41 percent acceptance rate, and a tough program to stay in with a student body of less than 1,000 and alumni like Trey McIntyre, Judge Reinhold, Terrence Mann and Joe Mantello.

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Courtesy Photo

Rebecca Vukin and Sean Barrett rehearse for “The 39 Steps,” on stage this weekend at Trike Theatre.

It's likely Clark will stand out even among the best of the best. At 18, he's written, acted, directed and produced, formed a theater company, and this summer, he worked with students from 13 to 18 in the first-ever Trike Theatre Next Generation Theater Project. The fruits of their labors, "The 39 Steps," will be on stage this weekend in the black box theater at 209 N.E. Second St. in Bentonville.

FAQ

‘The 39 Steps’

WHEN — 2 p.m. & 6 p.m. today & Saturday

WHERE — Trike Theatre’s black box theater at 209 N.E. Second St. in Bentonville

COST — $8

INFO — 464-5084

"Coleman is so good at taking charge and making decisions, but he's flexible as well," says Julie Gabel, the professional mentor for the workshop. "He's so self-motivated and mature and inquisitive, and he's got this driving force to make things happen."

Clark will be majoring in directing at the School of the Arts, his attempt to combine the diverse aspects of theater he enjoys.

"It's a way to do all the things I love to do," he says. "I love making people happy through theater, sharing experiences and stories ... It's always been in my blood to create things."

When Trike Theatre approached Clark about the Next Generation Theater Project, he immediately thought of a show he wanted to direct: "The 39 Steps," a comedy based on the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock film of the same title. "It's poking fun at all the things we love about Hitchcock," he says, "so it has a film noir feel but from a comedy perspective.

"You never want to play something for laughs," he adds. But with nine actors playing multiple roles, "this show is a good show to do with students who want more theater experience." Clark says every actor has to make "bolder, stronger choices," and after the train scene early in the show, "everything has to keep rolling and pick up speed like a train and never slow down."

Clark's life will on Monday -- for a day or two.

"The fact I get to sleep in is kind of depressing," he says. "It's been one of the most fantastic summers ever."

-- Becca Martin-Brown

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NAN What's Up on 08/07/2015

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