Clear Space Theatre presents ‘Baskerville’ through Feb. 11
The game's afoot at Clear Space Theatre! From Friday, Jan. 26, through Feb. 11, join in as Holmes (Collin Sullivan) and Watson (Drew Colegrove) work to catch a killer before yet another Baskerville heir is dead. Be prepared for a merry chase indeed: This is not vintage Arthur Conan Doyle mystery! This is Ken Ludwig's “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery,” full of all the comedic genius and rollicking good times Ludwig brought to “Lend Me a Tenor” and “Moon Over Buffalo.”
Not that diehard Sherlock fans will be disappointed: There's still plenty of the classic Holmes here! Says Colegrove, "The best thing about Ludwig's ‘Baskerville’ is that, while it's great comedy, the fun doesn't outshine or sacrifice the underlying mystery. It retains the feel of a Sherlock Holmes story, and offers the twists and turns that implies."
Joining Colegrove and Sullivan on stage are three additional actors - Nick Pawson, Rick Nazzaro and Dara Parsons. But joining Holmes and Watson are 38 additional characters! Wesley Paulson, executive director of Clear Space, notes, "I'm excited about the artistic possibilities offered when five actors are called upon to play 40 roles! Most of the costume changes take place right on stage, and many characters rely on a simple change of accents and the use of an accompanying hat or cane."
Colegrove clearly is embracing those possibilities, saying, "The audience is going to love watching as our small cast transforms itself into our multitude of characters! Watching us change among 40 different characters, both quickly off-stage - and even more quickly on-stage! - is pretty entertaining. For the actors, it can get a little chaotic - but that's also part of the fun of this show, for both us and the audience!"
Not that Colegrove doesn't recognize the challenges as well: "It's really fun to be able to play with our lines and create something new that feels like our own. But meanwhile, you do have to adhere to the necessary blocking to make it all work. Watson acts as a narrator of sorts, so I'm in a lot of scenes. It's a LOT to keep in mind all at once – but I love the challenge, and am having a great time with this show!"
So - whodunit out on the moors? Will the latest Baskerville heir succumb before Holmes and Watson can sniff out the perpetrator? Don a deerstalker and grab the magnifying glass - the game's afoot indeed!
Sponsored by the Cape Gazette, “Baskerville” runs weekends from Friday, Jan. 26 through Sunday, Feb. 11. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7 p.m. (except Jan. 26, opening night, at 6), and Sunday performances are at 3 p.m. There also is one Thursday performance, Feb. 1, at 11 a.m. Tickets for all shows (except opening night) are $17 to $32; tickets for Jan. 26 are $60. Tickets for all performances may be purchased on-line at www.clearspacetheatre.org, or by calling the box office at 302-227-2270.
