Pull out those deerstalker’s caps, a mystery is afoot at Sterling College! The SC theater performed Ken Ludwick’s comedy “Baskerville ” this past weekend, mixing in the program’s love for comedy into a beloved Sherlock Holmes classic. Protagonist Bryson Brownlee (Sherlock Holmes) and Philip Starnes (Dr. Watson) must crack the mystery of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” before a family curse dooms its newest heir.
Director Besty Dutton, a visiting theater faculty member, said that she saw its potential as a vehicle to showcase the comedic and dramatic talents of the SC actors.
“I believed that this play could show off the student’s capabilities with accents and characterization. The myriad of characters is fanciful, often larger-than-life denizens of London and the moors, so I know that they would enjoy taking on the roles,” said Dutton in her director’s note.
And enjoy the show they did! After a mere couple of weeks of rehearsals, set design, and creative production, “Baskerville” was performed on the first days of March at the Culberson Auditorium in Spencer Hall. With over 50 costumes, 21 wigs, 19 actors, at least 6 dialects, 3 beards, and 1 blood-thirsty hound, the fast-paced show contained a variety of lovable moments.
Thirty students were involved with the show from cast to crew, and some of them performed both! Freshman Mariana Inchauriga, a leader in creative production and actor for Mrs. Hudson and Mrs. Clayton, mentioned that she dedicated a lot of her time to the show. Whether it was manning the stage, detailing the sets, or controlling the lighting, Inchauriga was in the auditorium putting in the work.
“It was definitely hard, and I originally wasn’t supposed to do all that I did. It was a little easier in the sense that I was not one of the leads, which gave me a little more time to work on technical stuff. However, I would do it again. It’s very rewarding to see all the work you’ve put into something. The less work you do, the less you have to be proud of on show nights, and vice versa,” said Inchauriga.
Because the show was so over-the-top and dramatic, Inchauriga had trouble embracing the exaggerated volume of her characters. Playing between Mrs. Hudson’s heavy British dialect and Mrs. Clayton’s cockney, Inchauriga, was faced with pressing challenges.
“The biggest challenge that I faced was relating to Mrs. Hudson. Usually, I excel at portraying characters because I can see some of myself in them or relate to what they’re going through. However, since the show’s characters are very silly and fictional, it took some effort to understand who Mrs. Hudson is,” said Inchauriga.
As a Performing and Technical Theatre major, Inchauriga enjoyed finding the balance between her duties in “Baskerville.” Even if those roles fluctuate, Inchauriga always manages her time and dedication to the theater production.
“I like to do both for shows because I find that when I’m only doing one, I feel less fulfilled,” said Inchauriga.
But Inchauriga wasn’t the only one who had trouble fleshing out the unique voices of “Baskerville.” Senior Kaitlyn Lumbert, despite her expertise on the stage here at Sterling College, found her character’s voice to be the biggest challenge of the play. Dr. Mortimer, an ally to Sherlock and Watson, is directed to be an intelligent but absent-minded doctor, which Lumbert had to develop through rehearsals.
“Trying to stay in the lower range of my voice has been difficult. It’s easy for me to slip up and let my voice travel upwards, so I have to remind myself to try to keep it somewhat lower,” said Lumbert.
When finding the character of Dr. Mortimer Lumber found herself thinking a lot about what Holmes describes him as in one of the opening scenes–amiable, unambitious, and absent-minded. Although these characteristics might be true, Lumbert used this as a way to stay true to her character’s mindsets.
“He’s an honest guy who wants to help his friends, so I, as an actor, simply get to play Dr. Mortimer’s objectives. Much to the audience’s delight (and my own), he gets into some humorous misunderstandings along the way,” said Lumbert.
The final showing of “Baskerville” was on Saturday, but the delightful character Lumbert played remains in her heart.
“I’m looking forward to continuing to live in the role of Dr. Mortimer and all of the fun entails. I love delighting audiences through the humor in Baskerville, and I look forward to doing that again,” said Lumbert.
Even, by some miracle, these kinds of characters didn’t bubble up laughter from the audience, then protagonist Dr. Watson, played by freshman Philip Starnes, definitely did! As a freshman, taking on such a large role was challenging for Starnes. Along with fleshing out Dr. Watson’s character and mannerisms, Starnes had to determine the extent of his comedic reach to an unknown audience. But after weeks of rehearsal, there wasn’t a single doubt in Starnes’ mind about his success in “Baskerville.”
“Hearing that Audience opening night was one of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard. Working on a comedy every night for weeks on end can be exhausting, and you soon find it impossible to feel any humor telling the same jokes over and over with no reaction. But as soon as I heard the crowd laugh on that first night, the joy of the show came rushing right back and I felt a new surge of energy to perform,” said Starnes.
There was hardly a moment when Starnes wasn’t on the stage, his character essential to the narrative of “Baskerville.” This meant long hours dedicated to the theater, and even longer days of line memorization, character development, and role creation. Nonetheless, Starnes took on this role with the help of his fellow thespians, which led to the success of the play.
“In those countless hours of blocking, building, running lines, and carrying heavy things up and down stairs, your cast becomes your family. Then at the end of it all, you get to stand under the lights of the stage and proclaim to the world ‘Look at what we have accomplished! Marvel at our resplendent glory!’ I may have gotten carried away at the end there, but that is what working on a show can feel like. But for me, the journey will always be more important than the destination. I get to make something cool with my friends and it makes me happy,” said Starnes.
Make sure to follow the Sterling College Theatre Instagram for future performances.
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