LONG BRANCH – New Jersey Repertory Company, 179 Broadway, will stage the New Jersey premiere of the Steven Canny, John Nicholson British comedy, The Hound of the Baskervilles Apr. 19 – May 27.
The Hound of the Baskervilles is a comedy about a rag-tag theatrical troupe traveling through the British provinces performing Arthur Conan Doyle’s spine-tingling thriller. The three itinerant actors are faced with a formidable and seemingly insurmountable challenge when they have to conjure not only Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, but a cavalcade of loony and sinister characters including the demonic hound from hell that has been knocking off the male heirs of the Baskerville dynasty for generations.
The play is directed by Mark Shanahan and stars Wynn Harmon, Gary Marachek, and Rich Silverstein.
Writer and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is best known as the creator of Sherlock Holmes and is considered to be the father of the crime fiction genre along with Edgar Allan Poe. Holmes made his first appearance in A Study in Scarlet in 1887 and his character and that of Dr. Watson’s so intrigued Victorian readers that Doyle’s medical practice was eclipsed by the need to create ever more adventures for Holmes.
In 1893, Doyle decided to kill off Holmes by having him plunge off a cliff while grappling with his arch-nemesis, Dr. Moriarty, so that he could turn his attention to more serious writing and focus on his failing medical practice. However, the public clamored for their hero and Doyle was forced to resurrect Holmes who reappeared in 1901 in his most famous adventure, The Hound of the Baskervilles.
Performances are Thursdays, Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m. Special reduced price previews ($35) are on Thursday and Friday, Apr. 19-20 at 2 and 8 p.m. and Saturday, Apr. 21 at 2 p.m. Opening night with reception ($60) is Apr. 21 at 8 p.m.
Tickets for all other shows are $40, with discounts for seniors, students and groups of 10 or more. For tickets call (732) 229-3166 or purchase online at www.njrep.org.
