The play is afoot: Sherlock Holmes at the OTP

Feb. 21, 2010

The Play is Afoot: Sherlock Holmes at the OTP
By Kristi Kates
If you’ve been to the movies lately, there’s a good chance you might’ve
seen the latest reimagining of the Sherlock Holmes story as interpreted by
director Guy Ritchie and actors Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law.
But theirs is not the only revised look at this classic tale. Traverse
City’s Old Town Playhouse is in the midst of their run of the Steven
Dietz-penned Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, yet another retelling
of the story. This one is more contemporary, borrowing trifold from the
classic Sherlock Holmes play (by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and actor William
Gillette), from Doyle’s story A Scandal in Bohemia, and from Strand
Magazine feature The Final Problem, in which the author killed off his
creations of Holmes and Moriarty.
ONE LAST CASE
“This is a chilling mystery featuring the world’s greatest detective, the
King of Bohemia, a notorious photograph, a kidnapping, and of course,
Holmes’ great nemesis, Professor Moriarty,” Old Town Playhouse Executive
Director Phil Murphy explains. “At the end of Sherlock Holmes’ remarkable
career, it features one last great case, as well as the romance he
sacrificed throughout his years of fame and glory.”
Phil Callighan takes on the challenging role of Sherlock Holmes, with Joe
Kilpatrick as his Dr. Watson, I. Lee Rockwell stepping in as Professor
Moriarty, and Jill Beauchamp as Irene Adler. Accompanying the main
characters will be Chris Cooke as The King of Bohemia, Michael DeAgro as
James Larrabee, Stephanie Young as Madge Larrabee, and Jordan Michaels as
Sid Prince.
What makes the story unique is the tag line - “Sherlock Holmes, the Great
Detective, is dead!” - so it’s up to his trusty colleague Dr. Watson to
narrate the story backwards and tell the audience about the detective’s
last adventure.
“The action all begins at 221 Baker Street, where Watson has been
summoned,” Murphy says, “Professor Moriarty has always managed to escape
being linked to a series of crimes. Thanks to Holmes, there’s finally
enough evidence to convict him. But it’ll take a week to organize the
arrests of this criminal mastermind and his cohorts, so Holmes plans to
escape to the countryside to avoid any danger on his life. It appears he
spoke too soon as an unexpected guest, the King of Bohemia, has one more
detective job for Holmes. With the King set to marry in a few weeks, he’s
understandably nervous; but more so as a former flame, the beautiful and
charming Irene Adler, has visual evidence of their affair. Holmes is
therefore hired to retrieve this from Adler.”

OLD TOWN TWIST
“This is easier said than done,” Murphy continues, “and the case takes
Holmes on a final adventure, which includes kidnapping, numerous
disguises, underhand plotting, twists and turns, and a whole ton of clues
which even has the super sleuth’s sidekick scratching his head.”
Lights, sound, and selective set pieces create the setting and
non-traditional theater atmosphere for this particular play, being held in
the New Studio at the Railway Station in a black box environment. “It also
presents numerous period costumes,” he says, so
should be both a dramatic and visually striking event to watch. Murphy
also says that the pace and comedic intent of the Holmes story remains
intact.
“These are classic characters seen through the guise of romantic comedy,”
he explains. “Those who have seen the recent film can here see the
characters as originally created by Doyle. Also, the way in which a great
mystery is solved by the incomparable Holmes is always engaging, and I
think is a precursor to many of today’s characters especially as seen on
TV, such as Columbo or today’s Castle.”
Murphy goes on to explain that although the stories are very different,
the key characters are the same. “The latest movie turned Sherlock Holmes
into an action character, somewhat different than the previous
incarnations, played by such as Basil Rathbone, Peter Cushing, John
Cleese, Leonard Nimoy, and George C. Scott,
among others. And the familiar hat, pipe, and coat seen in the play have
given way to different clothing styles in the film. But either way, the
character’s flamboyance comes through and audiences will gladly follow,”
Murphy concludes, “as Holmes says, ‘the game’s afoot!’”

Don’t miss the last weekend of ‘Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure’ at
the the New Studio Theatre at the Railway Station;  remaining performances
will take place on February 25-27 with tickets priced at $11. Visit
www.oldtownplayhouse.com for more info or to buy tickets online, or
telephone their box office at 231-947-2210.