Counting Down:

The Game's Afoot - Cockpit in Court Summer Theatre, Cabaret Theatre Stage Mag

Originally Produced by Cleveland Play House Michael Bloom, Artistic Director Kevin Moore, Managing Director

Cockpit in Court Summer Theatre Cabaret Theatre June 10 - 25, 2023

Directed by THOMAS "TOBY" HESSENAUER

John Chrzanowski Stage Manager	Lizzie Jaspan Costume Designer	Diane M. Smith Scenic Designer

Jessica Rassp Scenic Artist	Thomas P. Gardner Lighting Designer	Jason Randolph Technical Director

THE GAME'S AFOOT is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
ANY VIDEO RECORDING MADE OF THIS PERFORMANCE IS AUTHORIZED FOR PERSONAL, AT-HOME, NON-COMMERCIAL USE ONLY. THE SALE OR DISTRIBUTION OF SUCH RECORDING IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED UNDER FEDERAL COPYRIGHT LAW.
Cockpit in Court Summer Theatre is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council. To discover more about the Maryland State Arts Council and how they impact Maryland, visit msac.org. Cockpit in Court Summer Theatre would also like to thank our Season Sponsor Towson University. To discover the Arts and Culture offerings at Towson University, visit www.towson.edu/campus/artsculture/

Director's Note

I have been a Sherlock Holmes fan (short for fanatic) since I was roughly 10 years old, maybe even earlier to be honest. I remember watching the Basil Rathbone movie series repeatedly on TV as well as any other random Sherlock Holmes films that came down the pike, so this particular play has a broad appeal for me. The bulk of this play is set in Gillette Castle on the banks of the Connecticut River, a place i visited back when I was in high school. Yes, William Gillette was a real person and his castle still exists and is a State Park open to the public. Gillette was the author and star of the first wildly successful play about Sherlock Holmes, a play which toured internationally and spanned a 30 year period and over 1,300 performances. He wrote the play in 1899 with the consent of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, during a time in which the author had all but washed his hands of the character several years earlier, having killed him off in his short story The Final Problem in 1893 in order to spend more time on what he considered more serious literature.

The success of the Gillette play and the constant demand from the public led to him resurrecting the character in a story that supposedly pre-dated his demise, The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1901 , and eventually in 1903 informing the public that his fatal plunge over the Reichenbach Falls was all a clever ruse, in The Empty House with 32 more stories to follow. The illustrations for these stories written after the 8 year hiatus were based on the appearance of William Gillette and his characterization of Holmes, such was the impact he had on the worldwide image of Holmes we have today. The drooping Meerschaum pipe, the deerstalker cap, the outsized magnifying glass- all stem from Gillette, who found the Meerschaum was the only pipe he could hold in his mouth onstage which wouldn't block his face from the audience or bounce around while he spoke, the large magnifying glass- so the audience in the rear of the theater would see what he was holding, instead of a more manageable pocket lens.

Sherlock Holmes is still one of the most recognized fictional characters worldwide having spawned multiple TV adaptations, radio adaptations, films, plays (even a musical) and countless literary pastiches making use of the character. His significance is best described in a poem by Vincent Starrett:

221B

Here dwell together still two men of note
Who never lived and so can never die:
How very near they seem, yet how remote
That age before the world went all awry.
But still the game’s afoot for those with ears
Attuned to catch the distant view-halloo:
England is England yet, for all our fears–
Only those things the heart believes are true.

A yellow fog swirls past the window-pane
As night descends upon this fabled street:
A lonely hansom splashes through the rain,
The ghostly gas lamps fail at twenty feet.
Here, though the world explode, these two survive,
And it is always eighteen ninety-five.

Toby Hessenauer
Director

Scene Breakdown

Setting and Time:
The living room of the mansion of William Gillette
on the Connecticut River near East Haddam, Connecticut
December, 1936

Act I, Scene 1:
The sitting room of a middle class house in London.
December, 1895.

Act I, Scene 2
The living room of the home of William Gillette.
Christmas Eve, 1936.

Act I, Scene 3
The living room of the home of William Gillette.
1 hour later.

Act II, Scene 1:
The living room of the home of William Gillette.
The action is continuous.

Act II, Scene 2:
The living room of the home of William Gillette.
5 minutes later.

There will be one fifteen-minute intermission

Cast

Paul Norfolk

William Gillette

Joan Crooks

Martha Gillette

Lenny Taube

Felix Geisel

Regina Rose

Madge Geisel

Robert Emmett Dunham IV

Simon Bright

Jessie Duggan

Aggie Wheeler

Sam David

Inspector Harriet Goring

Sarah Ford

Daria Chase

Creative Team

Ken Ludwig

Author

Thomas “Toby” Hessenauer

Director

John Chrzanowski

Stage Manager

Diane M Smith

Set Designer

Jess Rassp

Scenic Artist

Lizzie Jaspan

Costume Designer

Jason Randolph

Technical Director

Robert Noakes III, Broadus Nesbitt, Toni Oliver, Darian Grade, Kylie McAllister, Andrew Pfluger, Brad Norris, Sammy Jungwirth

Set Construction

Cathy Kratovil

Stage Crew

Meet the Company

Paul Norfolk

William Gillette

Paul is thrilled to be making his debut with Cockpit in Court. He most recently performed with the Hanover Little Theatre in Love, Lies and the Lottery and Godspell, and with the Glyndon Area Players in Joseph... When not on stage, Paul works as a curriculum coordinator for Villa Maria School, a non-public special education program. He thanks Toby for the encouragement to think big and consider taking on the role of William, the cast who have become great friends, and Jeanine for her love and constant support.

Joan Crooks

Martha Gillette

Joan is so thankful to be back at Cockpit in Court! Working with wonderful cast and crew! CCBC Essex holds a special place in Joan’s heart. It’s because of her time here (in her late 40’s) with F. Scott Black and all the people involved with the Theater Department that she has been able to perform on stages from NYC, throughout Pennsylvania, and from the mountains to eastern shore of Maryland. Joan is also thankful to you for supporting live theatre!!!

Lenny Taube

Felix Geisel

Lenny is thrilled to be performing in his first ever show with Cockpit in Court! Favorite past roles include Garry/Roger in Noises Off (Silhouette Stages), Marcellus Washburn in The Music Man (September Song), Bob/David Steinberg in Beau Jest (Heritage Players), Charles Condomine in Blithe Spirit (Miracle Players) and Ernie Cusack in Rumors (Heritage Players). Lenny would like to thank Toby for encouraging him to audition, and to the rest of the talented cast and crew without whose support this production would not have been possible. He hopes you laugh loud and hard at this hysterical farce!

Regina Rose

Madge Geisel

Regina is back on stage for her eleventh show with Cockpit having previously appeared in Night Watch (Elaine), The Unexpected Guest (Miss Bennett), Come Back to the Five & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, (Mona), The Gazebo (Mrs. Chandler), Don’t Drink the Water (Marion), Social Security (Trudy), Bell, Book and Candle (Nicky), and Brighton Beach Memoirs (Nora). She has also been the stage manager of Cockpit’s productions of An Evening of Murder and Forever Plaid. She has acted in, stage managed, and directed over 100 shows for various theatres throughout Maryland, Michigan, Rhode Island, and Canada. Offstage, Regina is a librarian and also performs one woman living history shows portraying such noteworthy females as Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, Katharine Wright, Caroline Astor and First Ladies including Edith Wilson and Louisa Adams. She thanks her husband Mike, her Mom and her family for their continuing support and love.

Robert Emmett Dunham IV

Simon Bright

Robert a multitalented 20-year-old dynamo born in Baltimore, passionately channels his ambitious nature into every facet of his life. His eclectic skills range from juggling to opera, the latter honed through rigorous college training. Less than two years ago, Robert found himself diving headfirst from a world coded in computer science into the vivid, unpredictable realm of performing arts. It was an ambitious jump, but one that he took with determination, all for the sake of fulfilling his dream of crafting stories as a professional playwright. Now, as his 21st birthday looms around the corner this August, Robert continues to hold his dream tight. Armed with innovative ideas for plays and musicals, he's geared up to ripple through Broadway before setting his sights on film and television. Adept at composition and piano, with 15 years of melodic creations under his belt, Robert's talent also extends to tumbling and gymnastics. Each stride in his journey is a testament to exploration and reinvention, and with every step, he edges closer to redefining how audiences experience theater and storytelling. His journey is far from over, and his every effort is aimed at etching his unique mark on the world of entertainment.

Jessie Duggan

Aggie Wheeler

Jessie is excited to make her debut with Cockpit in the Court! Jessie has appeared onstage in Greenbelt Arts Center's The Toxic Avenger (Sarah), Rockville Little Theater's The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 (Nikki), Spotlighters Moon Over Buffalo (Eileen) and Heritage Player’s Boeing, Boeing (Gloria). Past favorite roles include Kate, in Kiss Me Kate and Bonnie, in Anything Goes. Special thanks to her cast-mates and the entire crew! Much love and thanks to Alex, Mom, Dad and her friends and family for all their support! Enjoy the show!

Sam David

Inspector Harriet Goring

Sam is thrilled to be performing with Cockpit in Court for the first time. Some of her favorite roles include Annie in Calendar Girls (Mclean Community Players), Sybil Birling in An Inspector Calls (Laurel Mill Playhouse), Incubeth the demoness of bad dating decisions in Hellbent (Laurel Mill Playhouse) and the title role in The Devil Exclusive (West Arundel Community Arts). If you need an actress to play a middle-aged British woman, a denizen of Hell, or perhaps both at once, Sam's your woman. She leaves it to the audience to decide which of these categories Inspector Goring falls into.

Sarah Ford

Daria Chase

Sarah is so excited to be involved in her first show with Cockpit in Court! She is a recent graduate from West Chester University and is having a great time continuing to act on stage and screen! She hopes everyone enjoys getting to know Daria: the nicest and kindest person you’ll ever meet. Big thanks to her family and friends near and far for all of their support, and to the cast and crew for welcoming her with open arms to the Cockpit community!