THEATRE REVIEW
Paul Romero, Chairman Barnes and Richard Large as “Sherlock,” “The Consulting Detective” and “Holmes.” Mystery Lit 2017 (Photo – Heidi Marie Photography).
Looking for something fun and unique to do outside during the pre-4th of July*, almost-holiday period?
By Carol Edger Germain
You can’t beat spending an evening following the fascinating characters of this production around the Santa Anita Train Depot at the Arboreum as they cleverly and hilariously tax their brains with solving a convoluted mystery (I said it was a mash-up, right?).
Jonathan Josephson has written, and Paul Millet has directed, a clever and entertaining story combining characters and plot lines from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “A Scandal in Bohemia,” “The Red-Headed League,” and “The Adventure of the Copper Beeches.” The really fun part is that although the stories have gotten their plots and nuances and characters twisted, nevertheless all three Sherlocks still appear, thus the title, “Holmes, Sherlock, and the Consulting Detective,” the “aliases” for the three versions of Sherlock who weave in and out of the stories. Unfortunately for poor Watson, there is only one of him but he still must do triple duty.
Jephro Rucastle (Eric Keitel) dances with Violet Hunter (Jena Hunt) (Photo – Heidi Marie Photography)..
You will walk, sit, stand, and follow 25 characters through various performing spaces at the depot, twisting, turning, trying to figure it out – pay attention! – but no worries, the final chaotic scene drops some nice spoilers for those of us who didn’t quite snag all the details. Actors, costumes, plots, laughs – all are first class!
Totally worth every penny. Also, convenient onsite parking and fairly local.
And if you haven’t seen what this group can do with spooky stories yet, join them in the fall for “Wicked Lit,” when all degrees of mayhem, haunting, and horror come together at the Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum.
*Only 5 performances left (6/28 through 7/2)!
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