Sherlock Holmes is on the case in Arena Stage's production of
"Baskerville" as six actors bring the 40 characters of Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles to life in
the foggy English countryside.
Playwright Ken Ludwig puts his personal twist on the story
with Amanda Dehnert's direction resulting in a raucous,
impeccably timed rendition of the 1902 story, the third in
Doyle's series.
Sir Charles Baskerville meets his demise in the opening scene
to a larger-than-life killer hound believed to be part of a
long-standing curse of the Baskervilles. His only relative is
a nephew, Henry, who immigrated to America and returns home
to claim his inheritance, Baskerville Hall. Michael Glenn is
the cowboy-boot-wearing, plain-talking Yankee, who provides
comic relief throughout in that role and several others.
Gregory Wooddell is the dashing Sherlock, a little eccentric,
very cunning, with a touch of mischief. Wooddell takes
command of the role and his scenes, but Watson, played by
Lucas Hall, has a more primary role throughout, being more
than just Sherlock's straight man.
Stanley Bahorek, among several roles, is the odd neighbor
Jack Stapleton, a former schoolmaster turned butterfly
collector. Jane Pfitsch, also among other roles, is said to
be his sister, Beryl Stapleton. She's aware of the
Baskerville curse and anxious to warn strangers.
Mr. and Mrs. Barrymore, the Baskerville servants, are
hysterical with Bahorek's quirky physical movements and
Pfitsch's odd accent.
Scene-stealing hijinks and moments of dread and intrigue keep
the story moving quickly and the audience in stitches.
The 40 roles - from errand boys, to a taxi driver, to the
"Man of Mystery," with Milo Tindale, in perhaps the easiest
of stage appearances - are a marvel as the actors' costume
changes between scenes get quicker and quicker until the pace
is so fast they are morphing from one character into another
before our eyes.
The staging and props are clever as weighted flowers fall
from above to stand in a garden; a hand pops out of a trap
door in the stage floor from time to time with a butterfly,
or a hat, or a character; a window frame lowers on a pulley
as the actors gather to look out on the moors; and a hotel
desk clerk appears wearing his desk from suspenders.
"Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery," a family show, will
have you laughing as you warm to the sight gags and the
characters about 10 minutes into the first act. It runs
through Feb. 22.
Augherton can be reached at aaugherton@catholicherald.com.