The mystery begins as Holmes reunites with his newly married sidekick Dr. Watson. The King of Bohemia secretly visits Holmes in the hopes of securing his services to find the King's one true love, Europe's most celebrated soprano, Irene Adler. The king has left the scorned Miss Adler to wed a person of noble birth, but Irene still holds a photograph of the lovers which she has threatened to send to the King's future father-in-law the day before the wedding.
When London's greatest detective, master of disguise and confirmed bachelor, Sherlock Holmes, does track down this mystery woman, he finds himself falling under her considerable spell. But is she friend or foe? Audiences may not be sure until after the final curtain falls. All the while, Holmes must confront his arch nemesis, Europe's most devious and dangerous criminal Professor Moriarty, who has his own sinister designs on capturing the photograph and Irene.
Steven Dietz's Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, first produced in 2006 by Arizona Theatre Company and has since been produced by some of the leading regional theatres across the country, is based on the 1899 play by Arthur Conan Doyle and actor and writer William Gillette. In his interpretation, Dietz, one of America's most prolific and produced playwrights, has woven bits and pieces from several of Conan Doyle's stories into the narrative.
Directing Sherlock Holmes is Matthew Mazuroski. A faculty member of the department of Theatre, Dance & Film at Franklin & Marshall College, Mr. Mazuroski started his relationship with the Fulton as the Fight Director in last season's Dracula: Lord of the Undead. However, his relationship with Fulton Artistic Director Michael Mitchell extends back over 15 years when Mitchell directed Mazuroski as an actor in the Phoenix Theatre production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
"This play is a mystery, a comedy, an adventure," says Michael Mitchell. "but most of all, it's a love story. What else could do in the world's greatest detective."
Actors returning to the Fulton stage for this production are Kim Bennett (Dracula, Enchanted April, Amadeus, Cyrano) as Sherlock Holmes, Darrel Blackburn (The King & I) as the King of Bohemia, G.R. Johnson (Dracula) as James Larabee, and Kelly King as Professor Moriarty (Man of La Mancha, Peter Pan, The Importance of Being Earnest). Making their Fulton debuts are Ian Blackman as Dr. Watson, Lisa Bostnar as Irene Adler, Sarah Simpson Milici as Madge Larabee and Joshua N. Neth as Sid Prince.
The design team for Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure is Set Designer Robert Klingelhoefer, Costume Designer Beth Dunkelberger, Lighting Designer John Horan, Composer/Sound Designer Ron Barnett, Hair/Make-Up Designer Anthony Lascoskie Jr., and Stage Manager Djuana M. Strauch.
Performances run October 18 through November 4, 2007, Wednesday through Sunday. Performance times are: 7:30 PM Wednesday and Thursday evenings, 8 PM Friday and Saturday evenings, 2 PM on Sundays and select Wednesdays and Saturdays. The 8 PM performance on Friday, October 19th will be interpreted in Spanish via headset. The 2 PM performance on Saturday, October 20th is a Pay-What-You-Want performance and will be ASL interpreted for deaf and hard of hearing patrons as well as audio described for blind audience members. Tickets range in price from $20 to $45, with discounts for children, full-time students, seniors, and groups of 15 or more.
Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure Co-Sponsor is Franklin & Marshall College. Production Co-Supporters are Bazella Dombrowski CPA's, Inc., Berger Real Estate, Inc., Morgan Stanley, and Planning Strategies, Inc. The sponsors of the 2007-2008 Fulton Theatre Season are Fulton Bank and the Artistic Director's Circle. -- www.atthefulton.org
