Spies, spoofing

The 39 Steps is a silly, sophisticated spy spoof, done exceptionally well by the B Street Theatre and honoring both the theater world and Hitchcock through hilarious hijinks and a well-tuned cast of characters. This regional debut of the recent Broadway hit basically takes liberties with Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film adaptation of a 1915 book by placing it in the hands of four actors, who then present dozens of endearing and not-so-endearing characters. B Street regular Kurt Johnson handles the main dude, Richard Hannay, who finds himself embroiled in a murder mystery that takes him from London deep into the highlands of Scotland. Melinda Parrett plays most of the femme fatales, while juggling various accents. But the two who truly carry the show are Jason Kuykendall and Amy Kelly, a synchronized comedy team who portray dozens of characters with sundry accents, sometimes switching portrayals by the second. They are a pure joy to watch.

The 39 Steps; 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, 2 and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 5 and 9 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. $22-$30. B Street Theatre, 2711 B Street; (916) 443-5300; www.bstreettheatre.org. Through February 20.