On November 14 the Middle School’s fall play, Sherlock Holmes and the First Baker Street Irregular, will open in Kellett Theatre. This play tells the story of Wiggins, a young street urchin who crosses paths with none other than Sherlock Holmes. His ability to solve a case involving her inspires her to become a detective. Wiggins and Sherlock solve various mysteries by working together and using their complementary strengths.
The play stars Sydney Chen as Wiggins, Solomon Nixon III as Sherlock Holmes, and Henry Weaver as Dr. Watson, with supporting roles played by Emma Liu, Andrew Morgens, Andy Liu, Sofia Lam, Izzie Hoyos, Adrienne Gyovai, and a number of other talented Middle Schoolers. Chen says that her character Wiggins is overlooked by other characters in the play, but shows her resilience. “She’s really smart, but some of the characters fail to acknowledge that, but she proves her talents throughout the story, and she becomes friends with more people.”
Middle School Drama and Theatre Arts teacher Caroline Stewart is directing the Middle School play and is excited about the play’s fresh take on a familiar story. “I stumbled across this Sherlock Holmes script, and I was like, I’ve never seen this done before,” she says. “But it seems like a really great script, and it’s a story that’s familiar to some people. It’s told from the perspective of the irregulars, who are mentioned in the original books. They’re these kids that help Sherlock Holmes solve his mysteries. I thought it was interesting that it was a different take on a classic story.”
The cast is enjoying Stewart’s directing style in her second consecutive fall production. Weaver, who plays Dr. Watson, says that Stewart can connect with them well. “Her directing style is not necessarily completely laid back, but it’s a lot of fun.” he says. “She understands what it’s like to be a teenager.” Gyovai, who plays Anna, agrees with Weaver. “She’s really nice, she’s funny, and she knows how to direct well.” Stewart says this is a full-circle moment for her seeing as she graduated from Westminster and participated in productions when she was in the Upper School.
After weeks of rehearsal in the Oglesby Room, the cast and crew moved the production into Kellett Theatre on October 30 after the Upper School musical Titanic finished its run. With opening night just days away, play members are excited to be back in Kellett. Seventh grader Andy Liu, who plays Oliver in the production says he is ecstatic. “I’m super excited to be back in the theatre. I think it’s gonna bring back a lot of good memories, because I was in Newsies last school year, and I have a lot of good memories there. So just being back on that stage with a really good set, it’s gonna be awesome.” Weaver agrees and says it’s very sentimental being an 8th grader in the production. “It’s a lot better than rehearsing in Oglesby. There are so many bonding moments backstage with this special community. It’s great. I am kinda sad because, for us 8th graders, it’s our last play in Kellett as Middle Schoolers,” he says.
Theater students can all attest that a production’s success rests upon the work and dedication put in by each actor. “Every character is important,” says 9th grader Karina Fofiu, who participated in past Middle School productions. “If one person doesn’t sing or speak or if one person leaves or isn’t there, it matters. Everybody thinks that, oh, if I stop singing, or if I’m not there, it won’t make a difference, then it’s silent. It’s very much a group effort.” Weaver says this cast has this special bond. “I really enjoy the cast. Mr. Fry used to say that we’ll never have this exact same cast ever again. And, sure, sometimes, we can all get annoyed with some people, but it is really fun to have these moments and share these bonding experiences. I think that’s a large part of what makes the theatre unique.” With opening night looming, the cast’s dedication and hard work promises a memorable performance.
The play will open on November 14 at 4 PM. It will play again on November 15 at 5 PM and November 16 at 7 PM.