Thanks for joining us for our production!

By Ken Ludwig
Directed by Dale Kelly
Produced by Claire Pinkett

Production Dates:
January 16-18, 2025 at 7:30pm
January 19, 2025 at 3:00pm
January 22-25, 2025 at 7:30pm

Synopsis
Comedic genius Ken Ludwig transforms Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic The Hound of the Baskervilles into a murderously funny adventure. Holmes and Watson must brave the desolate moors before a family curse dooms its newest heir. Watch as our intrepid investigators try to escape a dizzying web of clues, silly accents, disguises, and deceit as a small number of actors deftly portray more than forty characters. Join the fun and see how far from elementary the truth can be.

**Claire Pinkett,** *S43 President , Show Producer, Set Designer, Front-of-House, Social Media*
Claire has been on the Board of Directors of Stage 43 for more than 20 years. She is passionate about keeping community theatre in the community and making it accessible for all. She is a producer, a stage manager, a set builder/painter, a set dec artist, a props mistress, an actress, and anything else a production requires. She is most likely to be seen in the lobby, greeting patrons or selling 50/50 tickets, or onstage before the show telling everyone to turn off their mobile devices…lol!

Message from the President:

**Dale Kelly**, *Director*
This current production marks Dale’s 101st assignment in the director’s chair. He has previously directed for Stage 43 twelve times, including such plays as *Ravenscroft*, *The Importance of being Earnest*, and last season’s *The Elephant Man*. Always enjoying a challenge, he would like to thank his cast and crew for rising to the difficulties in this script. Thirty-one scenes in seventy-seven pages. Over forty characters, multiple locations, multiple costume changes, light effects, sound designs, wind machines, and one very irritating beast (the Hound, not Dale)! To quote Sherlock: “*I abhor the dull routine of existence. I rave for mental exaltation*”. Be careful what you wish for!

Message from the Director:

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most recognizable figures in world literature. His silhouette alone transports one to Victorian streets and mist filled moors. Since his creation by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the consulting detective and his trusted companion Doctor Watson have captured the public’s imaginations with their thrilling adventures. It should be mentioned, however, that the case of The Hound of The Baskervilles was almost never told!

By 1893 Doyle had grown tired of the public demand for his cerebral creation and decided to kill him off in The Final Problem. In this case Sherlock defeats his arch nemesis, the criminal mastermind Professor James Moriarty, but at the cost of his own life. The effect on readers was startling! Men wore black armbands in mourning for the fictional hero, and the outcry for more stories continued for years.

In 1901 Doyle relented. The Strand Magazine began a serialized presentation of the novel The Hound of The Baskervilles, a story set in the time before Holmes’ death. It was an immediate hit. Instead of quelling expectations, the demand for more tales grew.

In 1905 those expectations were met with the publishing of The Adventure of The Empty House. Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes had miraculously returned! Twelve more tales followed. In the end Sherlock’s Investigations would span four novels and fifty-eight short stories. His Last Bow, written in 1917, marks Doyle’s finish with his brainchild. His brainchild however was not finished with him. More than one hundred years later, the popularity of Holmes and his author has not diminished. Through retelling or reinvention, comic or dramatic interpretation, the stories still intrigue us.

So welcome to tonight’s presentation of a classic mystery with a comic twist. We hope you enjoy it! The game’s afoot!

Karen Ostroff, Stage Manager
Karen welcomes the opportunity to be involved in this wonderful play, Baskerville. Many thanks go out to Dale Kelly, a wonderful director, and to the warmly welcoming cast and crew, all of whom are truly gifted. She is thrilled to be back at Stage 43, having managed many productions over the years, the most recent ones being Opening Night and The Elephant Man. She has stage managed productions at Pivot Theatre, Emerald Pig’s Bard on the Bandstand and Vagabond Players. Her sincere thanks go out to family and friends who offer encouragement, strength and support. Enjoy the show!

BASKERVILLE CAST:

**Ryan Johnson** as *Sherlock Holmes*
A mini mystery before your major mystery. Two desert striders find a flattened dead body in the middle of the desert. The body is wearing a wind resistor, a helmet and a backpack. No footprints are seen coming or going from the body, and no desert storms have occurred in the last week. How did the found body die? Find me in the lobby after the show for the answer.

**Sharon Notarrigo** as *Dr. John Watson*
Although most often seen working Front-of-House with Claire, Sharon has been known to tread the boards now and again – last seen proclaiming the virtues of broccoli in *Calendar Girls*. She’s had so much fun bringing Watson to life and thanks Dale for the opportunity to play a character she never imagined she would. She asks that you please forgive her English accent… it’s the closest she’s ever gotten! So much kudos and gratitude to the incredibly talented cast and the hardworking crew, and lots of love to her biggest fan Sal, who always supports her “play”-time!

**Parker Thompson** as *Sir Charles Baskerville / Sir Henry Baskerville*
Parker returns to Stage 43 alongside his talented mum, Donna, in this production of *Baskerville*. He's thrilled to be welcomed back after participating in Stage 43's production of *The Elephant Man* last year. Parker is forever grateful for the unwavering support of his beloved wife, Ally, and their adorable daughter, Zara. He truly cherishes every moment both on and off the stage.

**Donna Thompson** as *Mrs. Hudson / Mrs. Barrymore / Nurse Malloy*
Donna is thrilled to be performing in *Baskerville*. Playing multiple characters, and sharing the stage with her talented son, feels like an actor’s dream! Donna has a 30-year history on stage and wishes to thank the wonderful cast and crew, and director Dale Kelly, for this unique opportunity. She is super grateful for her amazing and supportive family.

Cheryl Minns as Daisy / Shepherdess / Floria Tosca / Lucy / Milker / Mrs. Clayton / Nurse MacKeeble / Laura Lyons
Cheryl is an actor and writer with a passion for community theatre, both onstage and behind the scenes. Baskerville is her second show with Stage 43, and she is excited to play a variety of comical characters in the classic whodunit. Some of her other shows include Opening Night (Stage 43); Our Town, Play On! and tick, tick... BOOM! (Vagabond Players); The Murder Room (White Rock Players' Club); The Mousetrap and And Then There Were None (Metro Theatre).

**Bruce Dunham** as *Dr. Mortimer / Wilson / Inspector Lestrade / Barrymore*
Bruce is a professor in the Department of Statistics at UBC. He has been taking acting classes for several years now, although this production is only his third theatre performance in front of an audience since his school days, and his second with Stage 43. He very much hopes you enjoy the show.

**Alex Ross** as *Sir Hugo Baskerville / Man with Black Beard / Castillian Desk Clerk / Stapleton*
Alex's previous acting credits include performing sketch comedy in the basement of a retirement community for the Kamloops Women's Auxiliary. He used to live with a cat (Shelley), but the cat moved out four years ago. Shout out to his people.

**Kelsey Robertson** as *Maiden / Cartwright / German Maid / Miss Stapleton / Winnie*
Kelsey is delighted to be back on stage with Stage 43. You may have seen her perform in *The 39 Steps*, *Calendar Girls*, or most recently, *School for Scandal*. Other select credits include *Play On* (Vagabond Players), *Laughter on the 23rd Floor* (Vagabond Players), *Sherlock’s Veiled Secret* (Vagabond Players), *Trying* (NVCP), *Terror by Gaslight* (Vagabond Players), and *Almost, Maine* (NVCP). Kelsey won Best Supporting Actress for *Almost, Maine* at the Theatre BC North Shore Zone festival in 2019 and was awarded the Cleo Award for Best Acting Performance in a Lead Role for *School for Scandal*. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts from the University of Wales. Kelsey would like to thank Dale for this opportunity, the cast and crew for their hard work and dedication, and her friends and family for their love and support.

**James Shaw** as *Baron Scarpia / Bradley, the Tobacconist / Train Conductor / Trap Driver / Victor / Country Farmer / Sir John Falstaff*
After developing a love for theatre from a very early age, James was heavily involved in high school and university productions as a youth. Since then, he pursued a business degree at UBC and started a career in digital marketing - but his passion for acting remained, and led him to audition with Stage 43. He’s thrilled to be immersed in the world of theatre again, and looks forward to getting back on stage for an exciting production with a talented cast. Prior to his hiatus from acting, James played roles such as the Mad Hatter in *Alice in Wonderland*, Jedadiah Schultz in *The Laramie Project*, and chorus in *Grand Hotel*.

**Reed Eiring** as *The Man of Mystery*
Reed is no newcomer to theatre in the Lower Mainland. His credits include such roles as Inspecter Doppler in *Sleuth* and Ulick Norman Owen in *Ten Little Indians*. An avid fan of mystery, he likes a play with a few twists and turns. We welcome him to Stage 43.

A SMALL FEW OF OUR BASKERVILLE CREW:

Stuart Chaplin, Lighting Design, Lighting Operation
This is Stuart’s fifth show with Stage 43. Stuart’s theatre background at Douglas College in their stagecraft program led to a summer internship at the Banff Centre for the Performing Arts and a six-month contract with Royal Caribbean as a Sound and Light Tech. Like many others before him, Stuart made his way back to theatre and is looking forward to continually contributing to Stage 43’s performances.

Colleen Bignell, Sound Design, Sound Operation
Colleen tends to jump back and forth between the booth and the stage. The last show she created the projections and sound for was The Elephant Man, as well as playing the part of Mrs. Kendal. She created and operated the sound for Murder on the Orient Express. Tonight, she hopes you will enjoy all the work the cast and crew put into Opening Night.

Joy-Ann Lee, Costume Design
Currently the Treasurer of Stage 43, Joy-Ann first joined in 2004 when her neighbor asked if she’d be interested in doing costumes, as she loved to sew. Joy-Ann soon became the Costume Mistress for Stage 43, designing, making, and selecting costumes for actors to wear while performing, ensuring they capture the required effect for their roles. Costumes are an integral aspect of stage production, which helps producers and actors to tell their stories. From 2004 to 2023, Joy-Ann has worked on a total of 33 productions, including our current production of Baskerville, and past productions of Opening Night, Footloose, M*A*S*H, The Elephant Man, and many more. “I have enjoyed these many years with Stage 43 and have met so many talented actors and crew and am privileged to have the trust of the group when it comes to costuming the actors.”

Acknowledgements:

Stage 43 would like to express sincere thanks to the following:

The staff and volunteers of the Evergreen Cultural Centre for their support of community theatre and always making it a fun place to play.
Krista Pavane and the technical operations staff of the Evergreen Cultural Centre for their technical expertise and mentorship.
Jessica Fowlis and Emily Bayrock of the Evergreen Cultural Centre for their assistance in promotion.
Caleb Berg for hound assistance.
David Berrouard for signage assistance.
And, of course, YOU - our patrons - for your kind support of community theatre!

Production Team:

Producer – Claire Pinkett
Director – Dale Kelly
Stage Manager – Karen Ostroff
Lighting Design & Operation – Stuart Chaplin
Sound Design & Operation – Colleen Bignell
Costume Design – Joy-Ann Lee & Jennifer Strazhnik
Properties Coordinator – Ryan Johnson
Set Design – Dale Kelly
Set Decoration – x
Backstage Crew - Pat Prigge
Graphic Design – Lydia Rogers
Virtual Program Design – Sharon Notarrigo
Social Media & Publicity – Claire Pinkett & Sharon Notarrigo
Front-of-House Coordinator – Claire Pinkett
Lobby Display – Claire Pinkett & Sharon Notarrigo

We are also thankful for our volunteers who spend countless hours creating and rehearsing the magic of live theatre. Did you know that it takes about ten weeks to put a show like this together? Apart from the three rehearsals a week for actors, hours of design and execution go into the set, the costumes, the soundscape and the lighting, and then there are the hours of promotion, marketing and content creation. It is a truly and labour of love. Some of the greatest friendships you can make happen in community theatre. If you are looking for a new hobby, check out our Volunteer Page for more information on how to get involved. Bonus points if you have carpentry skills, since sadly we lost our long-time friend and builder a year ago.