GARRISON PLAYERS PRESENTS SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY

Tom Dunnington as Dr. Watson and Phil Adams as Sherlock Holmes in the mystery, “The Hound of the Baskervilles”, opening Friday, November 18 at 8 pm at the Garrison Players Arts Center in Rollinsford.

DOVER – Garrison Players, the Dover area’s all-volunteer community theatre group, presents Hound of the Baskervilles on November 18-20 and December 2-4 at the Garrison Players Arts Center, Route 4 in Rollinsford. Please note that there are no performances on Thanksgiving weekend. Evening shows are at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m.

A mystery adapted for the stage by Tim Kelly of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic novel, the play is directed by Garrison Players newcomer, Chris MacEachern.

Audience members are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy to place in the Dover Fire Department’s Toy Bank box at the theatre. Tickets, at $18 for adults and $12 for students, are available online at www.garrisonplayers.org, or by calling 750-4ART.

Probably the most famous and popular of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, Hound of the Baskervilles deals with the curse of the Baskerville family, and the fiendish killer hound which stalks its members. Sir Charles Baskerville has died under mysterious circumstances, and his nephew and heir, the young Sir Henry, has been threatened even before his arrival at Baskerville Hall. Enlisting the aid of Sherlock Holmes, he sets out for his ancestral home in the company of Dr. Watson, Holmes' trusted colleague, a journey which brings him to danger, mystery and suspense.

Hound of the Baskervilles features long-time Garrison Players actor Tom Dunnington in the role of Holmes’ sidekick, Dr. Watson, and Phil Adams in the role of Sherlock Holmes. Adams has performed with Seacoast Rep and Prescott Park, as well as in the Garrison Players season opener, The Butler Did It. Playing the imperiled Sir Henry Baskerville is Seth Mazzaglia, with Jessica Lynn Berman as his girlfriend, Kathy Stapleton, and Chris Gempp as half-mad brother, Jack Stapleton. The play also features husband and wife Leslie Hamblin and Tim Robinson as Lady Agatha Mortimer and the sinister butler, Barrymore. Filling out the Baskerville Manor’s household staff are Mary Irons as the fearful Mrs. Barrymore and Carol Adams Bitov as the timid village maid, Perkins.

In the true community theatre mode, this play is directed by Chris MacEachern, with her daughter Lizzie as Stage Manager, and another daughter, Katie, playing the role of the troubled and secretive Laura Lyons; as well as Megan Davenport Karas and her mother, Carol Davenport, working on the period costumes with Barbara Rowe; and Producer Carol Seely with husband Scott, who designed the sound for the production.

MacEachern says that “The inspiration for some of the plot comes from the legend of Squire Richard Cabell, who lived during the 17th century. He was known as a passionate hunter and a “monstrously evil man.” He died in July 1677, and it is claimed that on the night of his interment, a pack of phantom hounds came baying across the moor to howl at his tomb. Some people claim that on the anniversary of his death he leads the pack around the moors, and when he is not leading them, they can often be found circling his grave and howling. The villagers of the time built a large building around the tomb and placed a slab across the top to keep Cabell’s evil ghost from escaping. Cabell’s tomb can be seen in the Devon town of Buckfastleigh. With inspiration like that and Doyle’s genius for setting mood and weaving complex plots, it is no surprise that The Hound of the Baskervilles continues to engage audiences around the world.”

Garrison Players is a nonprofit, volunteer-based community theatre group dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the area by presenting high-quality theatrical performances geared for family audiences. Established in 1953, the players encourage people of all ages to enjoy and participate in the many facets of the performing arts; and to help maintain the Garrison Players Arts Center. For more information about auditions, shows, or the Garrison Players, visit the website at www.garrisonplayers.org.