Church Hill Theatre offers a real treat, The Game’s Afoot; or Holmes for the Holidays, by Ken Ludwig, as its final 2016 production. Winner of the Edgar Allen Poe Award for the best mystery play of 2012, this fast-paced whodunit takes place in a Connecticut castle on Christmas Eve in 1936. Broadway star William Gillette, an actor famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, has invited his fellow cast-members for holiday revelry. When a guest is stabbed, Gillette assumes the persona of Sherlock himself, to solve the mystery before the killer finds another victim.
Photo: From L to R: Laura Wallin, James Diggs, Diane Landskroener, Jim Landskroener, Maggie Garey, and Lindsey Hammer strike a dramatic pose as William Gillette (Jim Landskroener) attempts to figure out “whodunit” in Church Hill Theatre’s hilarious production of The Game’s Afoot; or Holmes for the Holidays.
The Cleveland Examiner promised, “The Game’s Afoot gives you everything you love about great live theatre…you will find yourself swept along for a wild and funny ride.” Local residents may recall CHT’s production of another Ludwig comedy, Lend Me a Tenor, which played to enthusiastic and appreciative audiences.
The Game’s Afoot is directed by John Norton, an actor/director with considerable experience with the Tred Avon Players in Oxford. Audiences may recall his recent performance in CHT’s Visit to a Small Planet this past April. Norton is assisted in the production by Producer Nina Sharp, and Stage Manager and photographer Steve Atkinson. The set was designed by Michael Whitehill and constructed by Whitehill and Carmen Grasso, with Wendy Sardo and Brian Draper handling set decoration and Norton providing props. The lighting design is by Talley Wilford and the sound design by Patrick Fee. Tyler Judd is the light board operator; Jordan Foltz is the sound board operator. Cast member Juanita Wieczoreck designed the costumes.
Jim Landskroener plays William Gillette, the noted portrayer of Sherlock Holmes. Gillette’s houseguests, and potential suspects, are his fellow cast members: Lindsey Hammer in the role of Aggie Wheeler, Kirby Powell as Simon Bright, James Diggs in the role of Felix Geisel, and Laura Wallin as Madge Giesel. Other characters are Diane Landskroener, cast as the influential critic, Daria Chase; Juanita Wieczoreck, playing Inspector Harriet Goring; and Maggie Garey, in the role of Gillette’s mother, Martha.
The Game’s Afoot; or Holmes for the Holidays will open at Church Hill Theatre on November 4, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm through November 20. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students, with special prices for groups of ten or more. CHT offers 2 for the price of 1 tickets on opening night, Friday, November 4, to those who reserve by phone. Reservations can be made by calling the CHT office at 410-556-6003 or online at www.churchhilltheatre.org.
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