A gripping mystery plunges audiences into the world of Sherlock Holmes when PCPA opens Holmes and Watson, a play by Jeffrey Hatcher, at Marian Theatre in Santa Maria on June 26.
In this fast-paced thriller, Dr. Watson is summoned to a remote asylum where three inmates all claim to be the world’s greatest detective.
“Holmes and Watson is a proper mystery, filled with sharp minds, stiff collars, and always—always—two steps ahead of you,” according to director Michael Brusasco. “Clues abound: a glance, a pause, a suspicious swirl of sherry. Everything might matter. Or not. That’s the game.”
He says Hatcher’s script is “a gift of precision”—sharp, spare, and cunningly constructed. “It demands clarity but invites ambiguity. We aim for tension with a wink, mystery without melodrama. Just enough danger to keep things interesting. Still, trust no one. Not the characters. Not the actors. And certainly not me.”
The cast features Don Stewart (PCPA’s Conservatory Director-Actor Training) as Watson and Mark Booher (PCPA’s Artistic Director) as Dr. Evans. Also in the cast are PCPA alumni Mike Fiore and Toby Tropper, resident artist Christen Celaya, guest actor Michael Tremblay, and summer company member Michael Gould.
Holmes and Watson is recommended for ages tweens and up; it includes the use of prop firearms, realistic simulated gunshots on stage, theatrical haze, and flashing lights. It’s on the Marian Stage for just five performances through June 29, then it moves to the Solvang Festival Theater July 11 through 26.