In The Secret of Sherlock Holmes, which Milwaukee Entertainment Group opened last weekend, the mystery is less of a “who-dun-it” but more of a “why.” And when you have only two characters—the world’s most famous “consulting detective” and his biographer, Dr. John Watson—the truth lies somewhere between fiction and reality, what we believe and what we “choose to believe.”
Playwright Jeremy Paul borrows liberally from the famous series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle within this production, using actual quotes from stories to snippets from various cases. So, for Holmes fanatics (myself included) we can follow along, reminiscing about high profile crimes (the duo’s first meeting in A Study in Scarlet) to the life changing incident for both men at Reichenbach Falls (“The Final Problem”).
This play is a loving tribute to the lasting friendship between the two men and that is reinforced by the fine performances of the two actors: Randall T. Anderson (Holmes) and Jim Owczarski (Watson). The two have an immediate chemistry (which is no surprise given that both have played the roles before, even switching characters).
Both actors must be credited for navigating this very talky script, which relies more on telling than showing. Given the amount of dialogue—and also direct monologues to the audience—co-directors Amanda J. Hull and Tom Marks make the most of the Brumder’s intimate space and maximizing moments of flashback.
So with only two characters who are such good friends, where’s the conflict? Holmes is all about pursuing the truth at any cost. Watson is about propriety and morality. And since this is a “why-dun-it” story, there are no spoilers here. The revelation toward the play’s end is best summed up in an actual Doyle quote and repeated by Watson: “Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent.”
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Through Feb. 10 at Brumder Mansion, 3046 W. Wisconsin Ave. For tickets, call: 414-388-9104 or visit; www.MilwaukeeEntertainmentGroup.com
