The foggy streets of London are recreated on The Wayne Theatre stage for a comedic take on “Sherlock Holmes” in Ken Ludwig’s “Baskerville.”
Five actors will bring to life nearly 40 characters.
Director Rhys McClelland came to Waynesboro after living in New York City for 10 years. He worked at the Shakespeare Society and Public Theater.
Two years ago, he and his wife vacationed in the Shenandoah Valley on a visit to Shenandoah National Park and soon after made the decision to move to Virginia. His wife was an actor when they met and McClelland acting until he was 20 years old.
“I just really enjoyed directing. That was always my thing is directing and creating pictures and telling stories,” McClelland said. “So, very early on, I transitioned into directing.”
Born and raised in England, McClelland said that Wayne Theatre Artistic Director Lesley Larsen chose “Baskerville.”
“It’s perfect for Halloween but it’s light and it’s got some laughs as well,” McClelland said. “For Lesley, I guess, it felt like the perfect play for this season.”
McClelland said he has always loved “Sherlock Holmes” and directing comedies. When he was 13 years old, his grandfather gave him his first “Sherlock Holmes” book of stories. As a child, he watched the old BBC 1940s black-and-white films on Sunday afternoons.
“It was kind of fun,” McClelland said of casting the production. The challenge was figuring out the logistics of how to transition actors between their multiple characters. He adopted archetype work, like clowning, and commedia dell’arte techniques to ease the transitions between each character.
Developing “Sherlock Holmes,” portrayed by Robert Gotschall onstage, was also fun, according to McClelland, who said the character is still and pensive, but in Ludwig’s production can also be manic and moving.
“I think something that really always excited me about “Sherlock Holmes” in the books was that he was like still waters run deep. There was a lot going on inside Sherlock Holmes’ head,” McClelland said. “He’s finding a really cool Sherlock.”
“Dr Watson” narrates the production, as he narrates Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels, and is the character who most closely associates with audience members by speaking directly to them.
“All of the “Sherlock Holmes” stories are accounts by “Dr. Watson” of adventures that he had with ‘Sherlock Holmes.’” As a result, audience members are able to experience the story through “Watson.” McClelland said that Ludwig’s story nicely captures the relationship between “Watson” and the audience.
“So, we become kind of friends with him and we see the story unraveling through his eyes.”
McClelland said he hopes the audience has a good laugh and enjoys an incredible story, but also recognizes that two great minds are telling the story: Doyle and Ludwig.
As a cozy mystery, the production is “a love letter to the craft of acting,” he said. The production some of what goes on behind the scenes to create a theatrical production.
“They can actually sort of see the magic happening and see how much the actors love the craft of acting and how enjoyable it can be to tell a story,” McClelland said.
McClelland said when he found The Wayne, he got “really excited about their mission.” He calls The Wayne “a gem.”
“It’s a valuable resource. The team here, the work that they do to try and build a creative home, not only for artists, but for audiences as well, I think, is impressive and exciting,” McClelland said.
Kelsey Harrison, whom audiences have seen as “Jane” in “Pride & Prejudice,” “9 to 5,” “Three Sisters” and “SpongeBob: The Musical,” brings no less than 14 characters to the stage, including a baby.
“I really like ‘Cartwright’ who is the 14-year-old merchant boy,” Harrison said of her first appearance on stage as a boy. “He is so fun, because he just wants to do a good job.” “Cartwright” returns to the stage a couple of more times.
To keep track of each of her characters and their accents and costume changes, Harrison said she created a grid for herself. The production requires a lot of physical work as an actor to create a background for each of the characters so she knows where they are coming from when they enter the stage.
“That was definitely a jumping off point was looking at the different archetypes and seeing bits and pieces here and there where these characters came from,” Harrison said.
Harrison brings “Miss Stapleton,” the ingenue character, to the stage, as well as “Mrs. Barrymore,” the Swedish housekeeper at the hotel.
“I really hope they appreciate the craft of theater because this play really is a celebration of that,” Harrison said of audience members, “as far as the different changes that the actors are doing and the wide range of characters that they’re playing.”
Harrison said that the production has been a challenge as an actor.
“This is one of the most famous “Sherlock Holmes” stories, so I hope they get a new take on it and, if it’s someone who has never seen “The Hound of the Baskerville” before, or really “Sherlock Holmes” before,” Harrison, who has read a few of Doyle’s novels, said.
Harrison also enjoyed the “Sherlock Holmes” television series between 2010 and 2017 starring Benedict Cumberbatch. “I do have an appreciation for the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ world.” The Wayne’s production, she said, has made her better appreciate Doyle’s novels.
Adam Hunter moved outside of Churchville six months ago from Minnesota where he was in 12 community theater productions in five years.
He said he didn’t expect to get to interact with the audience.
He prepared for his role as “Watson” by listening to McClelland and working on his accent.
Hunter said he learned the importance of thinking about his timing on stage to coincide with the response of the audience.
“Being ‘Watson,’ I am the audience’s representation on stage. I convey with them the stories through my perspective. I break the fourth wall,” Hunter said. He emotes on stage what the audiences is feeling as they watch the production. He acts in the production but also participates as a member of the audience.
“It’s really just a show about having a good time,” Hunter said of “Baskerville.” “It’s just an enjoyable show.”
The show contains depth, touching moments and scary moments, but is really a fun telling of “Sherlock Holmes.”
Gotschall, “a huge fan” of “Holmes” who hoped to be involved in the production, has been seen by audiences in “Pride & Prejudice” at The Wayne.
He prepared to portray “Holmes” on stage by recognizing that he is always one step ahead of the other characters in a play that is moving fast.
“So, if the whole play is already moving at 50 miles an hour, he’s got to be moving at 100 miles an hour and, I think that, kind of characterizing that, giving him the moments of just [glee],” Gotschall said.
Along the course of the play, Gotschall said that “Holmes” begins to become aware that he is an actor in a theater production.
“I’ve never seen any “Sherlock Holmes” like this,” he said of the production.
Preparation for his role included re-reading Doyle’s novels and allowing himself as an actor to discover “Holmes” in the context of Ludwig’s text. He has also examined the fact that the world most likely bores a man as cerebral as “Holmes,” so what would interest him in the story.
Gotschall said he hopes that “Holmes” fans will see the production as an opportunity to poke fun at the story.
“It’s also such a great celebration of theater itself,” he said.
Performances will be Friday, October 18 at 7 p.m., Saturday, October 19 at 2 and 7 p.m., Sunday, October 20 at 2 p.m., Friday, October 25 at 7 p.m., Saturday, October 26 at 2 and 7 p.m. and Sunday, October 27 at 2 p.m.
The Wayne Theatre is at 521 W. Main Street in downtown Waynesboro.
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Rebecca Barnabi
