After countless hours of work from the actors, tech crew and director, “Sherlock Holmes: The Baker Street Irregulars” is ready to go. This play is based off of the novel from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, which was originally written in 1887.
The cast of the play this year is rather large; this goes into the picking of the play each year.
”Hoover is lucky to have a large number of student actors who want to be onstage, so I typically pick a play that has a relatively large cast,” Brown said. “‘Sherlock Holmes: The Baker Street Irregulars’ fit that bill and also provided an opportunity for us to stage a well-known story with a twist. Also, each character is very unique, so the students can stretch their acting muscles by making their characters contrast each other.”
The individuality of each character makes for a fun, enjoyable experience. Sophomore Ian Schenck talked about his role.
”In the play, I play Wiggins, the leader of the Irregulars,” Schenck said. “Wiggins is brave, street-smart, and loyal, acting as the voice of reason when things get tough.”
A very different role is played by Senior Hannah Bender.
”My character is a pick-pocket who works alongside her other orphan friends,” Bender said. “What we don’t see till act 2 is that she actually lives a double life in which her parents are actually rich, she just loves to solve crimes so she forces herself to fit in with the other kids. I relate to her because she is a very strong character with a lot of courage and isn’t shy about her opinions.”
During the preparation for the play the actors had to learn some new skills that were necessary for their roles.
“For this role I had to learn how to talk in a British accent while also trying to focus on being in character at the same time,” Bender said.
This can be a challenge for the cast but they have excelled with it, bettering the play.
While the play may appear as though it is flawless, some things did not go as planned. “We are putting the set together, and part of the set has an 8-foot platform. That platform has to be supported by cross-bracing, which are 2×4 pieces of lumber screwed across the platform beams diagonally. We have started a “bonk count,” which is a silly way to keep track of how many times we bonk our heads on the cross bracing. But don’t worry! The count is only at two,” Brown said.
Unfortunately some of the tech’s work goes unnoticed, not because it’s unimportant but people don’t tend to look for it. Sophomore Norah Roe is on the tech crew and is in the Stage Management department.
”There are lots of things that an audience won’t notice backstage or in the booth, I’d say that one of the things that audiences won’t think of is lighting, while we spend quite some time exploring the science behind it, it can tend to go over people’s heads if they are not looking for it,” Roe said.
This play really builds relationships with the cast and builds a tight group of people. ”The cast has bonded through rehearsals mostly by just being ourselves. We all have the same love for theatre and have similar interests so it’s easy to spark up conversations and have fun with each other,” Bender said.
“The most exciting part of this play has been getting the opportunity to work alongside some of the most talented actors I’ve ever met, and putting together an amazing show,” Schenck said.
The goal is to have actors that love acting and making the play enjoyable for people and this play and people will definitely make for those results.
“This play consists of many moments with extreme suspense that will have you over the edge of your seat, along with moments you’ll laugh at for a while! The humor and cast in this show is enjoyable for everyone who comes to see it,” Schenck said.
The dates are Nov. 7 at 7 PM and Nov. 8 at 2PM and 7PM.
“The overall vision for this show is moody and muted, with small glimpses of hope and adventure. Imagine a rainy, London alley in the morning. The fog is rolling through, and in the middle of this scene, our group of heroes- regular children – emerge and start solving a crime. The bright moments of the show shine out through the dimness of the environment,” Brown said.
