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Sherlock Holmes: The Countess (September 2005) This dramatization of the Conan Doyle classic short story, The Final Problem, is actually very true to the original text with the slight exception that our evil Professor James Moriarty became the beautiful Countess Natalia Moriarty. The dinner theatre audience at the Blue Door Cafe was very accepting of our modification. I think there was a general consensus that evil beauty can be even more wicked. The ending was a complete surprise. Now, I want to stress that our script remained very true to the original Doyle storyline right down to the physical confrontation between Homes and Moriarty at the Falls. It's simply that the playright found a "window" of opportunity, shall we say, for a slight twist in the ending. I was most gratified when select members of the audience told our cast that they were surprised at the ending. The Players hope to repeat this offering again soon. In the meantime, we are working on another Holmes adventure for the stage. When the fog decends, madness claims the night, the story of Sherlock Holmes and the Ripper is yet another perspective on the Whitechapel murders and again, we will offer an interesting twist to the storyline. More information to come. |
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Gil Nelson (Holmes) Frances Nelson ( Countess Natalia Moriarty) John Bock (Watson) Sherlock Holmes: The Countess was performed in September of 2005 at the Blue Door Cafe in Downtown Sherman, Texas as a fundraiser for Grayson County Home Hospice. The play is dedicated to the memory of Ellen S. Nelson, mother of the playwright who had been under the excellent care of Grayson County Home Hospice prior to her passing in 2003. |
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Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson (circa 1891) One of my very favorite images from this project and one of my very favorite people to act with. John Bock, who portrays Dr. John Watson, is one of the most talented people I have ever met. He can act, he can write and he is one of the funniest, most entertaining actors to ever grace the boards. |
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Countess Natalia Moriarty ( Frances Nelson - somewhat out of character) The above image is from Neil Simon's Chapter Two, but don't let the sweet smile and nice legs fool you, she can be quite evil. Frances Nelson is not only a wonderful actress capable of a wide range of characters, but she is also my wife and, of course, a highly valued acting partner. Her strength has always been her comic portrayals, so Countess Natalia Moriarty was something of a departure for Frances. As we rehearsed this show and opening night drew near, she was a little nervous and just a bit intimidated to be portraying such a well known character, not to mention initiating the change in gender! But as she made her entrance in the familiar scene where Moriarty calls on Holmes in his Baker Street flat, the audience, too, was somewhat taken aback by her very subtle commencement. As "Holmes" was going through his opening "speech", all eyes were on him and no one noticed as the Countess quietly made her way through the audience to the middle of the room. When she announced her presence, wearing a black, elegant victorian dress with veil, you could have heard a pin drop. In our next Sherlock Holmes offering, she will not be nearly so evil, but her character will be familiar and, of course, there's a twist! |
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Sherlock Holmes - The Shadows of Whitechapel As we research and write this piece, it is always something of a challenge to intertwine fiction with real life events. I am not sure exactly how many times Holmes and Watson have been configured into the real world, and specifically, into a "Ripper" story, but thus far, I've been but little impressed by the results of any of these projects. As a writer, I now run the risk of "joining the crowd" or perhaps doing something remarkable. There is an old addage that is now gathering dust along with my unfinished draft; Great success involves great risk. I believe the events surrounding the Whitechapel murders to be the perfect Sherlock Holmes adventure story. Books have been written and, at least, one movie made but to me the ideal vehicle to effectively tell this story is the "less is more" domain of the live theatre stage. I have many reasons for believeing this, but my main reason is quite simply that it has not been done before. A period piece always goes over well in the theatre, not to mention familiar characters and a good story. Sometimes just something simple (less is more) can equal a BIG return.
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