CAMDEN — Once again, Camden Opera House, 29 Elm St., opens its year Friday, Jan. 9, at 7:30 p.m., with a Lux Radio Theatre reading. The 2026 show will be “The 39 Steps,” presented by Everyman Theatre Company. 

The classic spy thriller began as a novel by John Buchan, but Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film adaptation put it on the popular culture map, according to the Opera House, in a news release. Some film historians credit Hitchcock’s movie as the original “innocent man on the run” flick.

Everyman’s Paul Hodgson has adapted the Lux Radio Theatre version of “The 39 Steps” for the “WERT” troupe of local (and returning) actors, complete with recorded music and sound effects. Said actors have been practicing a variety of accents, to keep up with this fast-moving plot.

SoundCheck shows run 90 minutes or less.

Tickets are $10, available in advance at camdenoperahouse.com and at the door (cash only, please). Seating is general admission.

The SoundCheck series is sponsored by the opera house’s Community Arts Fund.