by Shirley Lorraine
Mystery is afoot on Santa Paula Stage
To lend layers of intrigue to high farce comedy, the Santa Paula Theater Center now offers Baskerville by Ken Ludwig to finish out their 2024 season. Ably directed by Taylor Kasch, Baskerville is a slightly wonky adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes mystery Hound of the Baskervilles.
The famous detective Sherlock Holmes, aided by his trusty sidekick, Dr. Watson, take on a case involving a mysterious death, a creepy old mansion, howling dogs and a large cast of oddball characters. Plot and subpolots abound as the two work on unraveling the knots of deceit.
The delightful twist in this mystery is the supporting cast, that of four actors playing numerous roles, frequently changing costumes, wigs and accents. They are wonderful to watch as they add detail and often outrageously silly antics in contrast to the somewhat staid demeanors of Holmes and Watson.
Tom Hall embodies the very picture of the stately Holmes in every way. Dr. Watson, played by Donnie DD Stroud, is suitably awkward at times, playing a near perfect second banana role. The two together somehow manage to play it straight while the four actors create pictures for the audience of Holmes’ thoughts and ruminations.
A creative setting that enables the scenes to evolve from Holmes’ office, to streets, to foggy moors without moving any furniture is a marvel in itself. Background projections assist the audience in following the rapid action.
The four actors are played by Victoria McGee, Erin Dehorta, Julie Fergus and Cynthia Killion. All are a whirlwind of activity throughout. Each one of them gives a performance to remember with opportunities to improvise as needed. Lots of talent on the Santa Paula stage.
Costuming is clever and simple, allowing the characters to invite the audience in on the jokes their personas display. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. A few performances are already sold out. Perhaps invite friends and relatives in for the Thanksgiving holiday to join you at a performance for dessert of the best kind – no calories, quite satifying and lots of laugh-filled hi-jinks.
This play is one that could easily be seen several times without catching all the nuances within. Subtle but meaningful actions such as the characters that appear and change as a painting in a window are touches that add to the overall tone of the staging.
Following this production, the Santa Paula Theater Center will be gearing up for a new season of action, with a line-up of staging sure to intrigue and enrich you. Catch this one now. And don’t forget that season tickets (to any of our wonderful Ventura County theaters) is a wonderful holiday gift for your friends and loved ones.
Baskerville continues through December 15, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. www.santapaulatheatercenter.org or (805)525-4645.
