SHERLOCK HOLMES:
ADVENTURE OF THE NORWOOD BUILDER
Based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Adapted and Directed by Gayle Stahlhuth
Dates/Times: Friday and Saturday
October 21 and October 22 at 8:00PM
Location: Cape May Presbyterian Church, 500 Hughes Street, Cape May, NJ
Tickets: $28; $20 student & military (retired/vet/active); ages 12 and under free
Adapted and Directed by Gayle Stahlhuth
Dates/Times: Friday and Saturday
October 21 and October 22 at 8:00PM
Location: Cape May Presbyterian Church, 500 Hughes Street, Cape May, NJ
Tickets: $28; $20 student & military (retired/vet/active); ages 12 and under free
5 Star Review on TripAdvisor by TravelingAmos on Nov. 6, 2017 when the play opened in November, 2017
While a play consisting of actors speaking into microphones as if performing for radio may sound boring, this
was far from it. We were here during Sherlock Holmes Weekend in November, and we added this to the overall experience.
The quality of the acting here was first-rate!
We were captivated throughout the roughly one-hour long performance. The sound engineer was perhaps the most
interesting part as he simulated sounds for fire, wind, water, and other various sounds right in front of us as the
actors spoke into the microphone.
If you come to Cape May for Sherlock Holmes Weekend in the spring or fall, a visit here is a must!
The Cast from one of the Holme's Adventures: Tom Byrn, Mat Labotka, Veronique Hurley, Fred Velde,
Gayle Stahlhuth, and Rob LeMaire
"We're not getting all the evidence. Unless some lucky chance comes our way, I fear that the Norwood Disappearance Case will not figure in that chronicle of our successes." Sherlock Holmes is speaking to his loyal friend Dr. Watson. They are trying desperately to prove that a young lawyer did not commit murder, while Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard is convinced of it.
ELTC invites you to be part of our "radio audience" when we perform this famous mystery with live sound effects and commercials, and actors portray several roles to make the tale come to life. Before television and the Internet, people sat eagerly by the radio to hear the latest dramas, comedies, and news. Many radio shows were performed in front of live audiences at the same time they were sent across the "airways."
The first time a Sherlock Holmes adventure was heard on the airways was October 20, 1930. The Holmes’ tale was The Speckled Band, adapted by Edith Meiser. Meiser proposed the idea for a Holmes’ radio show to NBC. At first they passed on the idea for lack of a sponsor, so Meiser found one: G. Washington Coffee. Doyle died during the summer of 1930, but his estate entrusted the development of the series to Meiser and NBC. Meiser, also an actress, wrote the series single-handedly for a dozen years, and with help through most of the 1940's. No audiences were allowed during the early broadcasts. Famous actor/playwright William Gillette, at age 77, starred in the radio show’s premiere. It was he who had created the first stage adaptation of the writings of Doyle in 1899, under the title Sherlock Holmes. Although he’d played the role over 1,000 times, he was uncomfortable with the radio format. Clive Brook replaced him for the next two performances. Richard Gordon played the role from November 10, 1930 through May of 1933, and again in 1936. Leigh Lovell and Harry West played Dr. Watson. From 1939 to 1946, Holmes and Watson were played by Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. At the same time, they played these roles in 16 films. The Sherlock Holmes radio series continued through 1950.
ELTC invites you to be part of our "radio audience" when we perform this famous mystery with live sound effects and commercials, and actors portray several roles to make the tale come to life. Before television and the Internet, people sat eagerly by the radio to hear the latest dramas, comedies, and news. Many radio shows were performed in front of live audiences at the same time they were sent across the "airways."
The first time a Sherlock Holmes adventure was heard on the airways was October 20, 1930. The Holmes’ tale was The Speckled Band, adapted by Edith Meiser. Meiser proposed the idea for a Holmes’ radio show to NBC. At first they passed on the idea for lack of a sponsor, so Meiser found one: G. Washington Coffee. Doyle died during the summer of 1930, but his estate entrusted the development of the series to Meiser and NBC. Meiser, also an actress, wrote the series single-handedly for a dozen years, and with help through most of the 1940's. No audiences were allowed during the early broadcasts. Famous actor/playwright William Gillette, at age 77, starred in the radio show’s premiere. It was he who had created the first stage adaptation of the writings of Doyle in 1899, under the title Sherlock Holmes. Although he’d played the role over 1,000 times, he was uncomfortable with the radio format. Clive Brook replaced him for the next two performances. Richard Gordon played the role from November 10, 1930 through May of 1933, and again in 1936. Leigh Lovell and Harry West played Dr. Watson. From 1939 to 1946, Holmes and Watson were played by Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. At the same time, they played these roles in 16 films. The Sherlock Holmes radio series continued through 1950.
THE CAST
Tom Byrn (Sherlock Holmes) recently portrayed Gerrit Smith in ELTC's Possessing Harriet. He has performed with ELTC since 2009, including in two solo shows, Will Rogers U.S.A. (2018), and Mr. Lincoln, which was part of ELTC's 2015 and 2016 seasons and toured to Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble in PA. Howard Shapiro’s excellent review for “Newsworks” and WHYY TV and Radio stated: “Tom Byrn evokes Lincoln.” The link for the full review click here. Tom was also in ELTC’s Within the Law, He and She, Biography, The Dictator, and the world premiere of The Ransom of Red Chief. In 2019, he directed Summerland and in 2018, Silent Sky for ELTC. In the past few years, Tom also performed in The Importance of Being Earnest and One Slight Hitch by Lewis Black (Cider Mill Playhouse, Endicott, NY), Jane Austen Readings (Franklin Stage Company, Franklin, NY); and Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker (The REP Stage, Baltimore/D.C.). He has acted at various theaters in the Philadelphia area, including, People's Light, Interact, Lantern, Act II Playhouse, and at various other theaters in PA, NY, and OH. Currently an Associate Member, for eleven years, Tom was a full-time Ensemble Member of the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble in Bloomsburg, PA, where he acted, directed, wrote, and taught. He is co-editor of the trade paperback Letters to the Editor (Simon & Schuster) and a member of the Lincoln Center Director's Lab. He is a graduate of Vassar College, and a member of Actors’ Equity Association. Tom resides in the Susquehanna River Valley of central PA.
Nathan Garcia (John Hector M. McFarlane/Officer) was in ELTC's recent production of Who Am I This Time? (& Other Conundrums of Love). A New York City native, he's is a student at Anne Arundel Community College with an interest in Film and Theater, and appeared in their 2022 production of Clue as Mr. Boddy and The Police Chief. His earliest performances were at Wildwood Catholic High School's productions of Godspell, as Rooster in Annie, and Tulsa in Gypsy. He co-produced Louis Mascolo's Dying Like Ignacio off Broadway, and recently was an on-air broadcaster for local FM radio stations 98.7 and 106.3. Nathan retired from the New York City Police Department as a Detective in 2017 and from the US Navy Reserves as a Chief Petty Officer in 2019. A former Sergeant in the US Marine Corps, he now makes his home in Annapolis, Maryland. He is a graduate of the International Culinary Center which was located in New York City.
- Mat Labotka (Announcer/Inspector Lestrade) recently played Harry Nash and George Murra in ELTC's The Who Am I This Tme (& Other Conundrums of Love). He also played File in ELTC's The Rainmaker. An alum of Chicago’s Second City Conservatory and Marquette University, Mat is both classically trained and freshly comedic. New York credits include Henry in The King’s Face, Albert in Relativity of Love (Break A Leg), Victor in The Star and The Fire (90 Square Arts). Chicago credits include Metropolis Theatre, Circle Theatre, Second City, iO Chicago, Underground Lounge. Mat also performs in commercials, improv and stand-up comedy. Member Actors' Equity Association. matlabotka.com
Robert LeMaire (Jonas Oldacre/Inspector Higgins/Sound Effects) recently played "Teddy" in ELTC's Arsenic and Old Lace and was the Assistant Director. Currently, he's the director for ELTC's Summer Student Workshop and was honored, along with others who work with youth in theater, at the New Jersey Theatre Alliance’s annual gala in 2018. He’s performed in several ELTC productions including Ah! Wilderness, Dracula, The Late Christopher Bean, To the Ladies, You and I, The Dictator (2001 & 2010), and The Ransom of Red Chief. He’s worked sound effects and performed in ELTC’s Sherlock Holmes and Nick Carter Detective radio-style shows since 2008. His directing work for the Ocean City High School Drama Guild include Addams Family: A New Musical, Stage Door, Spamalot, Footloose: The Musical, Stage Door, and currently, he’s directing It's a Wonderful Life. Other performance work includes Vistas of Democracy, a video series in NJ Network Public Television's Educational NJ Legacy Series. You may catch his shoulder in the History Channel's Civil War Terror.
Gayle Stahlhuth (Adapted the script/Director/Mrs. McFarlane/Mrs. Lexington) has performed off-Broadway (Manhattan Theatre Club, etc.), in national tours (Cabaret, Fiddler, etc.), regional theater (Gateway Playhouse in Long Island, etc.), television, and radio. Other work involves directing cabaret shows in NYC, starting a dinner theater in Billings, MT, and creating a Medieval Festival at The Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore. A Year in the Trenches (2017), marked her 100th production for ELTC since becoming the company’s artistic director in 1999. She’s been awarded commissions from The National Portrait Gallery, the Missouri and Illinois Humanities Councils, and grants from the NJ Humanities Council, the NYS Council on the Arts, and the Mid-Atlantic Foundation for the Arts. For several years, she was a judge for the Emmy Awards in the field of broadcast news. In 2016, she was honored for her work in theater by The National Association of Professional Women (NAPW). Member: AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and Dramatists Guild.
Fred Velde (Dr. Watson) is a native New Yorker and has been part of the New York theater scene for over thirty years. He has been a member of The Harbor Theatre since 1995 and is currently a member of The Workshop Theater. His theatre credits include The Price of Genius on Broadway, Sex by Mae West, Off-Broadway, and Traveling Souls in Moscow as a member of The Phoenix Ensemble. For ELTC, he played Dr. McPhail in Rain, Chris in Anna Christie, Mr. Forbes in Dulcy, Detective Dupin in The Poe Mysteries, and Dr Watson in The Copper Beeches, The Speckled Band, and The Blue Carbuncle. As well as theater, he has appeared in film, soaps, Comedy Central and commercials. He is a member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA.
