Putting a twist on a classic film noir mystery in this raucous comedy, Cider Mill Stage’s Bold Local Artists of the Southern Tier (BLAST) will be performing Patrick Barlow’s stage production adaptation of Hitchcock’s absurdist 1935 film “The 39 Steps,” opening on Friday, April 5.

Cider Mill Stage is a community center in which local artists work together to hone and promote their art. Located at 2 Nanticoke Ave. Endicott, NY, the company centers art, community and diversity in performances with various ambassadors working on their specific form of performance, including BLAST. Kate Murray, 60, of Binghamton and executive director of BLAST and stage director of “The 39 Steps,” alongside her co-director Bill Murray, explained that BLAST specializes in comedies and musicals. The Cider Mill Stage is also open to various genres for public audiences to enjoy throughout the year.

“It can often be challenging to find a safe space at a reasonable price to perform or produce work for the general public, and we are honored to be able to do that for so many great artists,” Murray wrote in an email.

“The 39 Steps” is a dark comedy adapted from a screenplay written by Alfred Hitchcock, which leans into the dark comedy genre that the screenwriter is known for. According to the press release publicized by Cider Mill Stage, the show combines a bit of mystery and intrigue with slap-stick comedy to create a lighthearted yet thrilling production. The play centers around a murder mystery in which an unknown woman is found dead in the protagonist’s — Richard Hannay (Adam Holley) — apartment. With a cast of just four actors who portray multiple characters, the show focuses on a small group working within themselves to solve the death of the mysterious woman.

“Four main actors play up to 150 different characters,” Murray wrote. “Lots of comedic sight gags and physical comedy needed to be practiced. There are scenes when the two clown characters change accents, hats, clothes and personalities right in front of the audience.”

Murray highlighted the range of characters included in the show despite the seemingly small cast, explaining that this stage production allows the actors and directors to create scenes that include complex movement while prioritizing audience engagement. The humor of the show is intertwined with the eccentric behavior of the characters and the hovering notion of a mystery that must still be solved.

Adam Holley, 45, of Binghamton, NY and the actor portraying Richard Hanney, described the spontaneity of life that is displayed through this play.

“The show is about an ordinary man loving his humdrum life, who then gets caught up in a whirlwind adventure full of spies, mysterious women and danger,” Holley wrote in an email. “I loved the process of finding new moments and comedic bits with my fellow cast mates. It’s truly been a joy to work with them. I hope the audience leaves … exhausted from laughter.”

Murray expressed her hopes for how the audience would react to “The 39 Steps.”

“It is always an honor to work with actors and technicians and then see how the audience reacts to the final project,” Murray wrote. “This one is rather avant-garde, so the audiences are in for a treat that they may not expect. It is our hope that the audience will be totally entertained, and we suspect that they will leave smiling knowing that BLAST cared enough to show them a good fun time.”

With both serious and unserious undertones, the opposition within the plot gives way to a view of human life that includes both tragedy and comedy, highlighting the importance in working with your fellow humans.

The show will be performed on April 5, 6, 12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m., with Sunday matinee performances on April 7 and 14 at 2:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased online at cidermillstage.com or by calling the box office at 607-321-9630.