The Hound of the Baskervilles
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Adapted and Directed by Terry McCabe
Now playing through November 10, 2019
*running time is 2:15 including one 10-minute intermission*
by bonnie kenaz-mara
Does fall put you in the mood for a misty moors mystery? It was my pleasure to catch City Lit's excellent, Jeff recommended production of The Hound of the Baskervilles last Sunday. They've created an intriguing set and cast top Chicago actors worthy of bringing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic characters to life. Why mess with success? Dynamic duo, James Sparling and Adam Bitterman return to play Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, as they did in City Lit’s prior productions of THE SEVEN PER-CENT SOLUTION and HOLMES AND WATSON. These two are the epitome of Holmes and Watson and a joy to see in action. The rapport of these consummate storytellers is palpable and makes this production a must see.
If I have one complaint with the production it's that their hound sounds more like a duck call or a kazoo and nothing like the baying or howling of a giant canine. It's more humorous than harrowing and distracts from the plot. I've seen other productions of THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES where the hound sound cues were haunting and chill inducing. City Lit's is sadly not one of those.
Conan Doyle’s novel was published in book form in 1902 and over 20 film and television adaptations of it have been produced, so the bar is high to make yet another production unique. City Lit's live violin player in the audience adds much to the atmosphere. With a strong supporting cast and an interesting adaptation to work from, overall this rendition is a standout.
Bonnie Kenaz-Mara is a Chicago based writer-theater critic-photographer-videographer-actress-artist-general creatrix and Mama to two terrific teens. She owns two websites where she has published frequently since 2008: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly).
City Lit Theater’s Artistic Director Terry McCabe directs the company’s new staging of his 2007 Jeff Award-nominated adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES is one of four novels Conan Doyle wrote featuring the master detective Sherlock Holmes. THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES will play through November 10, 2019.
They will be joined by Dylan S. Roberts (Dr. James Mortimer), Dylan Jost (Sir Henry Baskerville), David Fink (Stapleton), Rebecca Sparks (Beryl Stapleton/Mrs. Barrymore), Hilary Hensler (James/Laura Lyons), T.C. Fair (Hotel Clerk /Barrymore), Alex Demetralis (Cabman/Postmaster/Selden/Inspector Lestrade), and Jerry Bloom (Perkins/Frankland).
The design team will include Ray Toler (set), Daniel Salazar (lighting), and Lily Grace Walls (costumes). The production will feature an original musical underscoring composed by Ben Chang and performed live on the violin by Eugene Kaler during performances.
Top row L-R: James Sparling, Adam Bitterman.
Second row L-R: Jerry Bloom, Alex Demetralis, T.C. Fair, David Fink.
Third row L-R: Hilary Hensler, Dylan Jost, Dylan S. Roberts, Rebcca Sparks.
All Production photos by Steve Graue
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES follows Holmes as he investigates one of the most extraordinary cases ever to challenge his brilliant analytical mind. The sudden death of Sir Charles Baskerville reignites rumors of a legendary hound said to haunt the Baskerville family, and Holmes and Watson are asked to ensure the protection of Sir Charles' only heir, Sir Henry. In an isolated mansion surrounded by mile after mile of wild moor, Holmes and Watson come face to face with a terrifying evil that reaches out from centuries past.
Season subscriptions good for all performances are available at $90.00, and preview performance subscriptions are available for $68.00. Subscriptions may be ordered online at www.citylit.org. Single tickets priced at $28 for previews and $32 for regular performances are on sale at www.citylit.org Senior prices are $23 for previews and $27 for regular performances. Students and military are $12.00 for all performances.
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Adapted and Directed by Terry McCabe
Now playing through November 10, 2019
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3:00 pm and Mondays October 28 and November 4 at 7:30 pm.
Regular run Sunday, October 6 - Sunday, November 10
Regular run ticket prices $32.00, seniors $27.00, students and military $12.00 (all plus applicable fees)
More info and tickets available at www.citylit.org or 773-293-3682
The death, quite suddenly, of Sir Charles Baskerville in mysterious circumstances is the trigger for one of the most extraordinary cases ever to challenge the brilliant analytical mind of Sherlock Holmes. As rumors of a legendary hound said to haunt the Baskerville family circulate, Holmes and Watson are asked to ensure the protection of Sir Charles' only heir, Sir Henry - who has travelled all the way from America to reside at Baskerville Hall in Devon. And it is there, in an isolated mansion surrounded by mile after mile of wild moor, that Holmes and Watson come face to face with a terrifying evil that reaches out from centuries past.
Terry McCabe (Artistic Director, Director) has been City Lit’s artistic director since February 2005 and its producer since July 2016. He has directed plays professionally in Chicago since 1981. He was artistic director of Stormfield Theatre for four years, resident director at Wisdom Bridge Theatre for five years, and worked at Body Politic Theatre three separate times in three different capacities over a span of 14 years. His City Lit adaptations of HOLMES AND WATSON, GIDGET (co-adapted with Marissa McKown), THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, SCOUNDREL TIME, and OPUS 1861 (co-adapted with Elizabeth Margolius) were Jeff-nominated. He won two Jeff Citations for directing at Stormfield and has been thrice nominated for the Jeff Award for Best Director, for shows at Court Theatre, Wisdom Bridge, and Victory Gardens. He has directed at many Chicago theatres either long-gone or still with us, as well as off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre and at Vienna’s English Theatre. His book MIS-DIRECTING THE PLAY has been denounced at length in American Theatre magazine and from the podium at the national convention of The Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas but is used in directing courses on three continents and is now available in paperback and Kindle e-book.
ABOUT CITY LIT
For forty years, City Lit Theater has been dedicated to the vitality and accessibility of the literary imagination. City Lit produces theatrical adaptations of literary material, scripted plays by language-oriented playwrights, and original material. City Lit Theater was founded with $210 pooled by Arnold Aprill (at the time the Body Politic Theatre’s box office manager), David Dillon, and Lorell Wyatt on October 9, 1979 and was incorporated on March 25, 1980. There were still so few theatres in Chicago that at City Lit’s launch event, they were able to read a congratulatory letter they had received from Tennessee Williams.
City Lit is in the historic Edgewater Presbyterian Church building at 1020 West Bryn Mawr Avenue. We are two blocks east of both the Bryn Mawr Red Line stop and the #36 Broadway and the #84 Peterson buses. We are one block west of the #147 Sheridan and #151 Sheridan buses. Divvy bike stations are located at Bryn Mawr & Lakefront Trail, and at Broadway & Ridge at Bryn Mawr. The metered street parking pay boxes on Bryn Mawr have a three-hour maximum duration and are free on Sundays. $10 valet service is available at Francesca's Bryn Mawr at 1039 W Bryn Mawr diagonally across the street from us on the SW corner of Kenmore and Bryn Mawr and is available whether you are dining at the restaurant or not. There are additional details about parking and dining options at www.citylit.org.
City Lit is supported by the Alphawood Foundation, the MacArthur Funds for Arts and Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Ivanhoe Theater Foundation, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council Agency and is sponsored, in part, by A.R.T. League.
