Mystery & Mayhem…
From the award-winning mastermind of mayhem, Ken Ludwig (Sherwood; Dear Jack, Dear Louise), comes a fast-paced comedy about everyone’s favorite detective solving his most notorious case. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson must crack the mystery of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” before a family curse dooms its newest heir. Watch as five actors deftly portray more than forty characters. Does a wild hellhound prowl the moors of Devonshire? Can our heroes discover the truth in time? Get your deerstalker cap on – the play’s afoot!
Mystery, Farce

Director’s Note

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson are characters so famous that their names are more recognizable than the author who created them, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Even though the stories featuring Holmes and Watson are over 100 years old, they continue to captivate audiences of all ages, crossing generational and cultural boundaries with ease.

“There is something romantic at the heart of Sherlock Holmes that touches all of us,” according to playwright Ken Ludwig. “He is quixotic, cerebral, dashing and inspiring. But there is also something dark and dangerous about Holmes.” Perhaps these days we crave a hero who succeeds despite, or perhaps because of, his quirks, his obsessions, and his near-fatal flaws.

Meanwhile, Watson creates a resonance of his own. From Ludwig, “He is steady, stalwart and wonderfully earthbound.” Watson’s practicality and compassion balance Holmes’s analytical brilliance and occasional aloofness, creating a dynamic partnership where each fills the gaps in the other’s character. Holmes, in turn, values Watson’s steadfastness and human connection, recognizing him as the one constant amidst life’s uncertainties.

In The Hound of the Baskervilles, often considered the greatest mystery novel in the English language, Holmes and Watson find themselves dealing with forces outside the ordinary laws of nature in a classic debate between the natural world and a possibly unseen, supernatural one. It is here we find Ken Ludwig’s inspiration for our production of Baskerville. Mystery and comedy have a lot in common, and Ludwig sets his play in a brand of storytelling right at that intersection. He takes on the mystery of the Gothic tradition, and then he balances it
with classic comedy motifs. And he celebrates the raw creative joy of being in a live theatre by taking a grand story and creating it with five actors, playing over 37 roles, on an almost-bare stage.

It feels right that this inventive theatre company makes this adventure possible to lovers of comedy and mystery alike—reminding us of the enduring power of storytelling to provoke thought, ignite imagination, and make us laugh! It is an honor to give this play to you.