‘ Holmes and Watson ’
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RICHARD J . SHULDINER , OD , FAAO
newportbeachindy . com JUNE 7 , 2024 9
‘ Holmes and Watson ’
PAGE 6
with the question of “ who is the ‘ real ’ Holmes ?”
Hatcher , best known for the play “ Scotland Road ” and stage adaptations of “ Dr . Jekyll & Mr . Hyde ,” “ The Alchemist ” and “ Dial M for Murder ,” gives Watson , and us , plenty of raw material on which to cogitate .
Holmes 1 ( Matthew Floyd Miller ) at first strikes us as most likely to be Holmes , what with his pointed observations of Watson and his shrewd deductions of the situation at hand .
Bound in a straitjacket , the first words uttered by Holmes 2 ( Matt Koenig ) are “ This man isn ’ t Watson ,” while the silent , motionless Holmes 3 ( Christopher M . Williams ) startles us all as Dr . Evans informs Watson the patient is deaf .
Flashbacks play a key role in Hatcher ’ s carefully plotted story – not just Watson ’ s accounts of his and Holmes ’ s experiences at the falls , but Dr . Evans and others dredging up their recollections of key events .
The script abounds in delightful proclamations akin to what we ’ d find in the works of Conan-Doyle , as when one character asserts “ We are dealing with vicious and resourceful felons .” When one of the true culprits is revealed – and sorry , but we can ’ t say who without spoiling the show – the actor ’ s voice fairly drips with gleeful self-satisfaction .
You ’ re to be forgiven if you take much of this review with a grain of salt , because that ’ s good advice for anyone watching this staging . It almost goes without saying that Hatcher generates countless red herrings .
One such possibly misleading lead , for example , is when Inspector Patterson is shot to death , uttering two words : “ Sherlock … Holmes .” We ’ re told this means one of the three Holmeses is his killer , though we later learn otherwise .
The play itself and Laguna ’ s production of it succeed in drawing us into its hermetic world . The incisively written script is studded with sparkling dialogue , witty turns of phrase and laugh-inducing one-liners , and the wry tone Hatcher generates is reflected by the tongue-in-cheek ambiance of Ellenstein ’ s staging .
In terms of its many twists and turns , this devilishly clever script is skillfully performed at Laguna Playhouse . Baird ’ s Watson isn ’ t just starchily , stiffly proper , but the calm , patient soul of equanimity . With his crisp mannerisms and spot-on British dialect , Baird is ideal .
Miller ’ s Holmes 1 projects authority and self-confidence . Koenig ’ s Holmes 2 is emotionally erratic and easily rattled ( as scripted ).
Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper , Mike Peebler , Matt Koenig and Richard Baird star in the Laguna Playhouse production of “ Holmes & Watson .”
Williams ’ s Holmes 3 is at first so stock still he ’ s nearly catatonic . When we later learn the reasoning behind this is fiction , the actor ’ s delivery and articulate manner reveal Holmes 3 ’ s sharp mind .
Mongiardo-Cooper paints a polished , erudite Dr . Evans , ever skeptical of Watson ’ s insights into who Holmes was – and who he is now if he has , in fact , survived death .
Mike Peebler ’ s vocal delivery delineates two dissimilar characters : He ’ s all snide , sharp edges as the crafty , treacherous Moriarty and uses a tangy Scottish brogue for the dogged , insistent policeman , Inspector Patterson . Peebler also plays the almost non-descript orderly . Overlook the character at your own risk .
As a matter of fact , it ’ s safe to say that none of the characters we meet are who or what we believe them to be .
Like several cast members , Alice Sherman handles multiple roles – the asylum ’ s coldly efficient Matron and a mystery character known only as “ The Woman ” whose identity is tightly bound up in the numerous mysteries eventually unraveled .
Ideally suiting the nature of the story is Stephen Gifford ’ s scenic design of the cavernous asylum and its stone walls , steel-gray coloring and mood of gloom and foreboding .
For the flashbacks to Holmes ’ s fateful meeting with Moriarty , Ellenstein darkens the stage and lights the upstage high window , where water showers down outside and mist seeps in below it .
Kate Bergh ’ s monochromatic costumes suit the setting and the dark mood of Hatcher ’ s script , and the combined work of Jared A . Sayeg ’ s lighting and Ian Scot ’ s sound and pro-
jections complete the effect of a late 19th-century hell on earth where the truth is likely to be strangled before it can emerge .
With so many clues so carefully created , then planted to confuse us , “ Holmes and Watson ” also generates , along with the suspense , tons of theatergoing fun .
Moulton Theatre , Laguna Playhouse , 606 Laguna Canyon Drive , Laguna Beach . Through June 16 . Running time : 1 hour , 20 minutes ( no intermission ). Tickets : $ 45 to $ 84 . Ticket purchase / information : 949- 497-2787 , lagunaplayhouse . org
Living with Macular Degeneration or other vision loss conditions ?
RICHARD J . SHULDINER , OD , FAAO
President , The International Academy of Low Vision Specialists
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