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Disclaimer:
The reviewers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreLouisville.org. |
Peer Reviews Sherlock Holmes, the Misadventure By A.S. Waterman Entire contents are copyright © 2007 A.S. Waterman. All rights reserved. Louisvillians should have two major gripes about Actors Theatre: the seating, which is so cramped that it would make an airline blush, and its reliance on New York performers, along with its concomitant assumption that not enough acting talent exists in Louisville to fill these roles. The former speaks for itself. As for the latter, when the results are as outstanding as in this season's productions of The Chosen and 9 Parts of Desire, one may not be inclined to quibble. However, such is not the case with the current production of Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure. Far better British and German accents have been heard on local stages, as well as fewer faltered lines, from actors that New York based Rich Cole Casting never deigned to consider. At Friday night's performance, the lone Louisvillian -- the ever-delightful William McNulty -- gave the most consistent and impressive performance of the evening. The others ranged from odd to uneven. Joris Stuyck played a buffoonish Holmes, in a characterization that owes more -- too much, perhaps -- to Michael Pennington's portrayal in the silly made-for-TV movie (The Return of Sherlock Holmes, 1987, in which a befuddled Holmes is cryogenically awakened in modern-day Boston) than to the more faithful renderings of Basil Rathbone or Jeremy Brett. Michael Sharon offered a caricature of Bohemian royalty, with his unaccented English punctuated by an occasional "und." Michael Haworth's bland Professor Moriarty seemed more the tedious college professor than the epitome of evil, and Brandy Burre was equally tame as the infamous Irene Adler ("the woman," to Holmes devotees, whose intellect equaled his own and whose beauty drove men mad). Moreover, there is little adventure in this supposedly final episode. The plot, which attempts to combine unrelated Conan Doyle tales into a sitcom-like story line, is confusing and contrived. Mystery and suspense remain notably absent throughout. All that said, the production is entertaining. Special effects range from good to excellent, especially the raging waterfall in Holmes' famous hand-to-hand battle with Moriarty. There are genuine laughs, and even a few small twists and turns. If one is not offended by the notion of a humorous Sherlock Holmes, and purchases a ticket with no more expectation than that of a pleasant diversion, then the evening will not disappoint. However, true Holmesians, as well as serious theatre-goers, might do well to look elsewhere. The title of the production misleads, and audience members may feel that they did not get what they bargained for, in the production as well as in the physical comfort that is so much a part of any theatrical experience. Sadly, the same may be true of the title of the institution itself. Actors? Certainly. Theatre? Perhaps. Of Louisville? Perhaps not. Let's hope the chapter on that is not yet final. Sherlock Holmes:
The Final Adventure Written by Steven Dietz, based on the original
play by William Gillette and Arthur Conan Doyle ---------- Posted Feb. 4, 2007 |
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