Players Workshop to present ‘Holmes for the Holidays’

BURLINGTON - Players Workshop of Burlington will celebrate the Christmas season with the 2012 Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allen Poe Award Winner for Best Play, 'The Game's Afoot” or 'Holmes for the Holidays,” by two-time Olivier Award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig.

Director Kent Lewis and producer Bill Ell have announced the following cast for what has been called a 'murderously funny” and 'inspired whodunit.” It is December of 1936, in the Connecticut 'castle” of Broadway star William Gillette, where the actor, famed for his onstage portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, has invited his fellow cast members for a weekend of fun. But when one of the guests is murdered, the party in this isolated house of mirrors becomes dangerous, and it is up to Gillette (who assumes the persona of his beloved Holmes), to track down the killer before another victim appears.

Playing the pivotal role of William Gillette is Tim Harmon. The party guests and household staff are portrayed by Karen Cahill, Kevin Gobble, Sherry Schultz, Wade O'Neal, JoJo Johnson, Becky Teator and Jayne Gobble.

Of author Ken Ludwig, the artistic director of the Old Globe Theatre said, 'Ken Ludwig is America's pre-eminent comic playwright. Our field has no one else like him.” He has written 25 plays and musicals, which have been performed in over 30 countries worldwide, including six Broadway productions and seven in London's West End. Some of his best-known plays are Lend Me a Tenor, Moon Over Buffalo, Crazy for You, Postmortem, and The Fox on the Fairway.

The Game's Afoot or Holmes for the Holidays runs at the Workshop, 1431 Grove St., Burlington, on Nov. 30-Dec. 2 and Dec. 6-9; all performances are at 7:30 with the exception of the 2 p.m. Sunday matinees. The show is presented with permission of Samuel French Inc. For more information call the Workshop at 753-6623, check out the PW Facebook page, or go to www.playersworkshoptheater.com