Hound of the Baskervilles
I started this blog partially to revisit old favorite places in the Chicago storefront theatre scene and one of those is definitely City Lit, a modest little theater located in a beautiful church in the Edgewater neighborhood not far from where I grew up.
City Lit, now celebrating its 40th season, specializes in literary adaptation, one of its most frequent sources being the Sherlock Holmes stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. They kick off their season with a revival of their production of The Hound of the Baskervilles, perhaps the most famous of the Holmes novels, adapted and directed by Artistic Director Terry McCabe.
The indefatigable and uncannily brilliant crimefighter whose adventures are assisted and dryly chronicled by his best friend and sidekick (and audience stand in) Dr. John Watson, has been a staple of popular culture for over a century, enjoying a recent TV and film renaissance, it's always great to see him on stage as well.
The story begins when Holmes (James Sparling) and Watson (Adam Bitterman) are visited by country doctor James Mortimer (Dylan S. Roberts) who tells them the tall tale of the Baskervilles, an aristocratic clan from the moors of Devonshire who legend has it, is stalked by a fearsome demonic dog first invoked by the transgressions of a fiendish ancestor. The family's latest patriarch has been found dead, apparently of a heart attack, but Mortimer discovers a giant animal's footsteps nearby. The intrepid investigator takes on the case, partially to debunk the supernatural element.
It's a fun, gothic hook, appropriate for the Halloween season. Unfortunately Doyle's human mystery, including the machinations of an escaped convict (Alex Demetralis) a butterfly collecting neighbor (David Fink) a wronged woman (Hilary Hensler) and the always present mysterious butler (T.C. Fair) didn't engage me much.
The real joy of the show is in the interplay between Holmes and Watson, which features lots of sparkling, witty dialogue. Sparling nails Holmes' combination of genius, passion, arrogance and eccentricity while Bitterman gives us a kind but rough edged Watson, befitting the character's military background.
The two spend most of the show's middle section separated, with Watson bemusedly navigating events as Holmes' agent, which makes their moments together all the more special.
While I wanted the show to deliver more in terms of eerie thrills, it was all rendered with a lot of solid humor my favorite example of which being Dr. Mortimer's delightful penchant for phrenology.
All in all I had a very fun trip to the Victorian era.
City Lit, now celebrating its 40th season, specializes in literary adaptation, one of its most frequent sources being the Sherlock Holmes stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. They kick off their season with a revival of their production of The Hound of the Baskervilles, perhaps the most famous of the Holmes novels, adapted and directed by Artistic Director Terry McCabe.
The indefatigable and uncannily brilliant crimefighter whose adventures are assisted and dryly chronicled by his best friend and sidekick (and audience stand in) Dr. John Watson, has been a staple of popular culture for over a century, enjoying a recent TV and film renaissance, it's always great to see him on stage as well.
It's a fun, gothic hook, appropriate for the Halloween season. Unfortunately Doyle's human mystery, including the machinations of an escaped convict (Alex Demetralis) a butterfly collecting neighbor (David Fink) a wronged woman (Hilary Hensler) and the always present mysterious butler (T.C. Fair) didn't engage me much.
The real joy of the show is in the interplay between Holmes and Watson, which features lots of sparkling, witty dialogue. Sparling nails Holmes' combination of genius, passion, arrogance and eccentricity while Bitterman gives us a kind but rough edged Watson, befitting the character's military background.
The two spend most of the show's middle section separated, with Watson bemusedly navigating events as Holmes' agent, which makes their moments together all the more special.
While I wanted the show to deliver more in terms of eerie thrills, it was all rendered with a lot of solid humor my favorite example of which being Dr. Mortimer's delightful penchant for phrenology.
All in all I had a very fun trip to the Victorian era.
| Fri, Oct 11: | 7:30pm |
| Sat, Oct 12: | 7:30pm |
| Sun, Oct 13: | 3:00pm |
| Fri, Oct 18: | 7:30pm |
| Sat, Oct 19: | 7:30pm |
| Sun, Oct 20: | 3:00pm |
| Fri, Oct 25: | 7:30pm |
| Sat, Oct 26: | 7:30pm |
| Sun, Oct 27: | 3:00pm |
| Mon, Oct 28: | 7:30pm |
| Fri, Nov 1: | 7:30pm |
| Sat, Nov 2: | 7:30pm |
| Sun, Nov 3: | 3:00pm |
| Mon, Nov 4: | 7:30pm |
| Fri, Nov 8: | 7:30pm |
| Sat, Nov 9: | 7:30pm |
| Sun, Nov 10: | 3:00pm |
Price: $27-$32
Show Type: Comedy/Drama
Box Office: 773-293-3682
www.citylit.org
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