Florida Studio Theatre

Theatre Critic Found Murdered

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are on the Case

In the Southeast Premiere of Sherlock Holmes & The West End Horror

Monday, November 8, 2004

SARASOTA, FL – The game’s afoot as Sherlock Holmes prepares to solve the case of a murdered theatre critic in Sherlock Holmes & The West End Horror. The play opens on November 26, 2004 at 8:00 p.m. and runs through March 3, 2005 in the Harold E. and Esther M. Mertz Theatre at 5555 North Tamiami Trail in Sarasota, Florida. A “Mingle with the Stars” champagne reception in the lobby will follow the opening night performance.

Here by special arrangement from New York to direct the play is Marcia Milgrom Dodge. Marcia and her husband Anthony Dodge are the authors of the play, which was adapted from the novel The West End Horror by Nicholas Meyer. The World Premiere of the Play was presented by Bay Street Theatre, Sag Harbor, Long Island, New York. This is the first time it will be performed outside of New York.

The creative team is comprised of Troy Hourie (settings), Pamela Scofield (costumes), Jim D. Sale (lighting), and Matthew Parker (sound). The acting company, led by the charismatic Richard B. Watson (also here from New York), includes Asolo favorites James Clarke and Douglas Jones in addition to Wayne Berman on piano, Ken Ferrigni, Deanna Gibson, Aaron Kliner and Arlyn Mick. This small troupe of players will divide 34 speaking roles, creating the life and blood of 19th century London in an intimate theatrical setting.

The time is March 1895. Sherlock Holmes has not taken a case for the past several months, choosing instead to skulk about Baker Street to the consternation of his friend and confidant Dr. John Watson. Then George Bernard Shaw shows up, challenging the master detective to solve the bizarre murder of a theatre critic. Suspects include theatre luminaries and literary figures Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, Henry Irving, and even Gilbert & Sullivan along the way. Music, mystery and great fun ensue as Holmes and Watson cross swords with some of the most vital celebrities of the Victorian age.

“This play is not your standard murder mystery. It is enormously entertaining and, with its tongue-in-cheek expose´ of the Victorian age of theatre, it is very well suited to performance on our vintage stage.” says Howard Millman, the Asolo’s producing artistic director. “This play is an absolute delight and wonderful fun as the audience not only tries to solve the crime, but also to determine which of the players is playing whom from scene to scene.”

Sherlock Holmes & The West End Horror will be performing in the historic landmark Harold E. and Esther M. Mertz theatre from November 26, 2004 – March 3, 2005 where it will run in rotating repertory along with other Asolo shows. The Asolo’s repertory season makes it possible for theatregoers to see up to four different plays in a single weekend.

Season subscriptions, $99 Play Passes, $25 Student or Equity Passes, and single tickets are now on sale. To purchase tickets, please call the Asolo Box Office at 941-351-8000 or toll-free at 800-361-8388 or visit us on the Web at www.asolo.org.

The Asolo Theatre Company, the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, and Sarasota Ballet of Florida operate, train and perform within the Florida State University Center for the Performing Arts at 5555 N Tamiami Trail in Sarasota, Florida.

The Asolo is funded in part by the Division of Cultural Affairs, Florida Department of State, The Florida Arts Council, the City and County of Sarasota and the Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax through the Board of County Commissioners, the Tourist Development Council, and the Sarasota Arts Council. The Asolo Theatre Company’s Shakespeare productions are sponsored in part by Shakespeare in American Communities, a national theater initiative sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and The Sallie Mae Fund in cooperation with Arts Midwest. Additional funding is also received through the efforts of support groups including the Asolo Angel Association, the Asolo Theatre Guild, The Directors Emeritus and the generosity of individuals, corporations and foundations.

Please call FST for current show information at 941-366-9017.

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