A New Play about William Gillette by Shera Cohen
Thursday, February 11, 7:00pm,
Mark Twain House, Hartford, CT
“Elementary, My Dear Fellow” tells the story of William
Gillette, renowned actor/playwright/inventor, Hartford born and bred, and most
importantly, the original Sherlock Holmes. In 1896, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
literally handed his celebrated books to this constantly employed yet rarely
satisfied American actor, telling Gillette to do whatever he pleased with Sherlock
as he was tired and bored with the detective. This was the impetus to
Gillette’s famous and long career. Gillette not only molded the Holmes’ stories
into plays and wrote many of his own creation, it was Gillette who dressed
Holmes in what has now become the character’s instantly recognizable image.
However, William Gillette was far more than Sherlock Holmes.
Admittedly, even Gillette often entangled the two – man and character – through
much of his later career and life. The play is William Gillette’s journey onto
the stage, the people who helped him, his joys and tragedies. It may not be
surprising that Gillette was a rather quirky, sometimes naive, and enigmatic
man…certainly, a man worthy of meeting.
Cast List & Readers
William Gillette read by Martin Shell
Charles Frohman read by Frank Aronson
Helen Nichols read by Jarice Hanson
Yukitaka Osaki read by Luis Manzi
Arthur Conan Doyle read by Tim O’Brien
Woman read by Kristen Anne Ferraro
Man read by Keith Purcell
Narrator/Stage Manager -- Julie Waggoner
Free will offering.
Reservations recommended: (860) 247-0998
