THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
Our annual series of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes has become one of our most popular programs at the Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion. We began with the very first Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet, in 2012, and last year we presented probably the scariest story: The Speckled Band. This April, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson return to the Mansion with a new adaptation of A Scandal in Bohemia, one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s personal favorites.
Unlike our first two Holmes plays, there is no murder to solve. The master detective is hired by a masked king to retrieve a compromising photograph, and in this simple task he meets one of his greatest adversaries: Irene Adler. Holmes is quick to outsmart most of the villains he encounters, but Irene Adler is something more. Dr. Watson begins the tale by telling us that Sherlock Holmes always refers to her as “The Woman.” What his true feelings are towards Irene we don’t know for sure, it’s up to you to decide.
The Speckled Band is almost like a ghost story with a grisly ending of death by snake bite. A Scandal in Bohemia is a much lighter affair. Years have passed since we last saw Holmes and Watson together, and they renew their adventurous friendship before your eyes. We also get to see Sherlock Holmes in disguise for the very first time.
Playing Sherlock in these plays has been an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s the first time I’ve ever been able to return to the same character in different plays, and grow with the role as time goes by. To be honest, during A Study in Scarlet I was probably as terrified as I have ever been doing a show. There are so many great and famous actors who have played the part, so what could I possibly do that was different? Thankfully my Watson is played by Jason Graboski, who has been my friend ever since we were students at Arcadia University.
Something extraordinary happened to me last year when we were doing The Speckled Band. It was during the second performance, and I was sitting in a chair listening to Jessica Graboski’s monologue about her sister’s strange death. I looked around me at the walls of the Parlor, and all of a sudden I felt absolutely that I was that man, in that time period. Being in the Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion can seem like traveling back in time, and it really sparked my imagination that day. In that moment, I was Sherlock Holmes at Baker Street in 1883. I’ll never forget it. That’s why I love doing theater in this place.
Coming back this time to A Scandal in Bohemia, I feel much more relaxed about playing Holmes. That doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly challenging, I’m taking a break from memorizing a two page monologue to write this post. But we’re all having so much fun doing this play, and I think the audience is going to have a lot of fun too. It’s a wonderful way to start the spring, and I hope you’ll join us at Baker Street once more.
Click here to purchase your tickets online for this special event.
