Q&A with Director Aaron Galligan-Stierle on The 39 Steps
After 14 years, the Utah Shakespeare Festival is doing The 39 Steps once again—and led by a familiar face. Aaron Galligan-Stierle, who gave a side-stitching performance as one of the two clowns in 2010, returned to the show, but this time as the director. In addition to The 39 Steps, Galligan-Stierle has a long list of acting credits here at the Festival, including leading roles in Clue, Sweeney Todd, Ragtime, Richard III, The Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night, Peter and the Starcatcher, The Taming of the Shrew, and The Merchant of Venice.
His Broadway credits include Monsieur Andre in The Phantom of the Opera, Henry Ford in Ragtime, and Papa Who in The Grinch. His career spans a wide range of roles at various theaters, including the Kennedy Center, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Papermill Playhouse, PCLO, The Rev, TUTS, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, and the national tour of White Christmas. He was also the executive producer of the film Ruin Me.
Galligan-Stierle received his BFA in musical theatre at Shenandoah University, and an MFA in acting at Penn State. He currently serves as the head of musical theatre at Slippery Rock University.
The Festival met up with Galligan-Stierle to find out more about his experience with The 39 Steps.
The Festival: You acted in the Festival’s last production of The 39 Steps as one of the clowns. What is it like transitioning into the director’s seat for this production?
Galligan-Stierle: The 39 Steps was a highlight for me. I loved the team, and it was a turning point in my career. Up until that point, I had played smaller roles at the Festival, but playing one of the clowns was a big role, and it was an honor. That was my first union contract, which led me into other amazing leading roles that were mostly comedic, from playing Dromio [in The Comedy of Errors] to Wadsworth [in Clue]. Now directing this piece is another turning point for me and hopefully gets to be another chapter for me at the Festival.
It’s a really complicated show; it’s 150 characters played by four actors. I have clear memories from the last production of things that worked brilliantly, and things that we were challenged by. From those lessons, I [could] better help set up this round of actors for success.
The Festival: What similarities and differences have you found in directing and acting in this show?
Galligan-Stierle: I approach both of them in very similar ways, which is being in a big melting pot of fun ideas where we work together to tell the story. My approach is always to find and create a group of humans that can problem-solve and find fun solutions.
The Festival: Why are you excited to direct this play?
Galligan-Stierle: I consider the Festival as my artistic home. For me, that means it’s the place where I am seen as a full artist and allowed to explore parts of my artistry that maybe I haven’t been able to explore elsewhere. There are new opportunities such as working as a member on the new play committee for Words Cubed, to being an assistant director to David Ivers which led me to more assistant director jobs, to now coming back and getting to direct at a major regional theatre. These are major moments of my career…and that doesn’t even include the personal side of it. One summer, my wife and I planned our wedding in Utah; another summer was when my daughter was 3 months to 9 months; another was getting to perform in Ragtime with my wife and two children.
It’s a place that has incredible personal meaning to me as the place I keep coming back to as an artist and a human and get the opportunity to continue to develop. I have amazing relationships with the artists here.
I love art that is really funny but also meaningful; and what I love about The 39 Steps is that it’s hilarious, but it also has this focus on a character that starts the play lost, unsure of his meaning in the world, with a lack of community and connection—who then, through a great amount of luck, discovers his purpose and relationship that gives him meaning in the world. That, to me, speaks to our world and who we are as humans, and the need for everyone to get up off the couch and have these extraordinary moments, and find connection with other people in this world.
The Festival: The 39 Steps is heavily inspired by classic cinema. How do you balance the film and the theatrical elements of the show?
Galligan-Stierle: The piece is an homage to film, but it is specifically theatrical. What’s wonderful about the play is that it tells a story in a way that can only be told on the stage. Although we…have certain images with lighting and the set that will be reminiscent of film noir, we are specifically leaning into the highly theatrical.
The Festival: What are some of the challenges of directing this show?
Galligan-Stierle: In 2024, the way we look at plays—and the world—is different. Re-exploring this piece with a new perspective on the world due to the pandemic and various social changes… it’s opened up new possibilities for us. I think this will make it even more fun, accessible, and joyful. It has been a challenge, but it’s allowed for an immense amount of opportunity as well.
The Festival: Are there any special “Easter eggs” you have implemented in the show?
Galligan-Stierle: If you are a fan of Alfred Hitchcock, we have quite a number of Easter eggs throughout the show that will be homages and visual and verbal references to his movies.
The Festival: How long have you been directing plays? How long have you worked with the Festival? What draws you to be a director?
Galligan-Stierle: This is my 11th season at the Festival; the [previous] 10 seasons I was an actor. My first year was 2004. My whole life I feel like I’ve been directing in various ways, but I haven’t been doing it professionally for very long. When I was a kid, I was the one who convinced all the other kids on the block to put on a show, and I would cast everyone and tell them what to do. I’ve been a teacher for a long time, and teaching and directing are very closely related.
When I was in New York, I spent a lot of time developing new work. It wasn’t until a lead through Utah, I made a connection with Sacramento Theatre Company and directed The Tempest. I got the job as head of Musical Theater at Slippery Rock University [PA] four years ago, and as part of that, I get to direct 1-2 shows every year. That has allowed me to hone my craft as a director while still allowing me to perform.
The Festival: What do you hope audience members will take away from this play?
Galligan-Stierle: I want them to leave delighted and refreshed. I want them to feel that it is possible to get up and have an adventure and have meaning in your life in the most fun, creative, adventurous way possible.
To purchase tickets to The 39 Steps, visit bard.org or call 800-PLAYTIX. The play runs until October 5.
