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DON’T<br />
MISS<br />
OUT!<br />
Going on Now!<br />
<strong>DIS</strong>COVER! | JULY 6, 2024<br />
Playbill | 7<br />
MYRNA WAGNER | STAFF WRITER<br />
British detective duo on stage at OST<br />
Play based on famous tale ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’<br />
A<br />
dark brown brick wall and<br />
empty gold picture frames create<br />
a bit of mood and mystery<br />
from the opening curtain for the play<br />
“Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock<br />
Holmes Mystery” that takes to the<br />
stage for the second week of Okoboji<br />
Summer Theatre’s 66th season.<br />
A cast of just six actors bring to<br />
life a wide variety of characters in<br />
this classic story starring the most<br />
famous British detective, Sherlock<br />
Holmes, played by one of the OST’s<br />
most famous actors, Rob Doyen.<br />
Another OST favorite guest actor,<br />
Chad Fess, plays the role of the nearly<br />
inseparable partner, Dr. Watson.<br />
Set on the moors of Devonshire<br />
surrounding the Baskerville estate<br />
outside of London, the play is a<br />
somewhat humorous adaptation by<br />
playwright Ken Ludwig of Sir Arthur<br />
Conan Doyle’s book “The Hound<br />
of the Baskervilles.” Heirs to the<br />
Baskerville family estate are being<br />
murdered, and Holmes and Watson<br />
are tasked with solving the mystery.<br />
“There are layers upon layers and<br />
nothing adds up” Holmes says to<br />
Watson in the early moments of Act<br />
II.<br />
That is as it should be for a mystery<br />
that has everyone wondering until<br />
the final moments.<br />
Though the theme of the play is<br />
serious, there is comedy and humor<br />
laced throughout, seen in the physicality<br />
of the acting and the exaggerated<br />
stereotypes of characters.<br />
In addition to Holmes and Watson,<br />
four actors play all the other characters,<br />
relying primarily on costume<br />
changes, spoken accents and physical<br />
movements to convey the many<br />
roles.<br />
The mastermind behind all the intricate<br />
details of the show is director<br />
Stephen Brotebeck. Timing is critical<br />
to the success of a mystery like this<br />
and Brotebeck is mindful of every<br />
detail. Lights, sounds, blocking and<br />
props all change in rapid succession<br />
enabling a small cast to carry out the<br />
vast number of roles.<br />
As an audience member you don’t<br />
first realize you’re seeing the same actors<br />
on repeat. Once the realization<br />
hits it is impressive to watch for the<br />
changes and nuances, all executed by<br />
Stephens College students.<br />
The small cast is also able to execute<br />
many roles through the genius<br />
of the script and design of the set. As<br />
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson<br />
think aloud and form theories, they<br />
are able to introduce characters. A<br />
small stage in the background of the<br />
larger stage also allows these scenes<br />
to come to life while the characters<br />
are talking.<br />
The genius of set designer Brandon<br />
PT Davis works perfectly for the<br />
telling of stories within stories. Paint<br />
charge for his design is Katie Cohen.<br />
Actor Quinten Loveland’s primary<br />
character is Sir Henry, a hearty man<br />
with a drawl who has recruited the<br />
help of Holmes and Watson. He<br />
also plays the town constable, and<br />
switches seamlessly from his drawl<br />
to an Irish brogue. Particularly<br />
impressive is Loveland’s execution<br />
when both of these characters are<br />
on stage at the same time and he<br />
is able to fill both parts simply by<br />
holding up the hat and using both<br />
of his voices.<br />
Joseph Alan Murphy is equally<br />
impressive in his ability to switch<br />
roles. Primarily Jack Stapleton, he is<br />
also Dr. Mortimer, John Barrymore<br />
and more. He executes physical<br />
disabilities remarkably well and<br />
handles dozens of costume changes<br />
in minimal time.<br />
Arden Ogilvie and Nylah Strong<br />
are the female cast members,<br />
also filling many roles with accents,<br />
unique mannerisms and costume<br />
changes. Impressive that these actors<br />
do not show the stress of speedy costume<br />
changes.<br />
The talent on stage is matched by<br />
the talents making things happen<br />
behind the scenes.<br />
Makenzie Schutter handles the<br />
challenge of costume design for the<br />
show, with assistance from Sydney<br />
Johnson. Props go hand-in-hand<br />
with costumes in this production,<br />
Getting there:<br />
WHAT: “Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville:<br />
A Sherlock Holmes Mystery”<br />
WHEN: Through Sunday, July 7<br />
(no Thursday performances this<br />
season)<br />
WHERE: Okoboji Summer Theatre,<br />
2001 Highway 71, Okoboji<br />
TICKETS: $24<br />
RESERVATIONS: Call the box<br />
office at 712-332-7773 or visit<br />
the website eventbrite.com and<br />
search by title.<br />
UP NEXT: “Freaky Friday,” a musical,<br />
playing July 9-14<br />
handled by prop supervisor Fae<br />
Riemann-Royer.<br />
Ashley Russell is stage manager, assisted<br />
by Paige “Blue” True.<br />
Kayla Sliger is sound designer with<br />
Savannah Bell serving as lighting<br />
designer.<br />
Dramatic music and dramatic<br />
lighting are perfectly paired with<br />
sound effects. Listen for the wind,<br />
thunder, train whistle, typewriter,<br />
growling dog, creaking door and<br />
wind. Fog is particularly effective too,<br />
both at the train station and when<br />
the action moves into the moors and<br />
heavy fog rolls in.<br />
When the music is soft and romantic,<br />
the lights are as well. When<br />
the music shifts to the dramatic,<br />
lights on the scrim shift from purple<br />
and fuchsia to red and orange. Drab<br />
nearly colorless greenish taupe light<br />
is appropriate for the melancholy<br />
moments. A final spotlight on the<br />
two genius detectives is a dramatic<br />
and fitting way to end.<br />
Though there is much unknown<br />
during the telling of the tale, all is<br />
neatly wrapped up and explained<br />
in the end, with a bit of philosophy<br />
shared for theatregoers.<br />
“That part of our souls that is dark<br />
and troubling — the hound is in all<br />
of us.” F<br />
Okoboji | Iowa