STUDY GUIDE Table of Contents Introduction 3 10 Things to know about going to the theatre 4 Cast and Creative Team Credits 5 Sherlock Holmes and the Extended Family 6 Synopsis and Characters 8 Inside Vertigo Theatre 9 — An Interview with Jenna Rodgers Pre-Show Projects and Discussion Questions 12 Finding a Voice Treasure! “You see but you do not observe” Your Burning Questions 14 Pre-Show Activities —To Get You Up On Your Feet 16 Statues Watson’s Ruse Post Show Discussion Questions 19 The Art of the Theatre Review 20 About Vertigo Theatre/AYA Program 21 Introduction Welcome to the Study Guide for Vertigo Theatre’s production of SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE RAVEN’S CURSE by R. Hamilton Wright, based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In this guide, you will find information about the Sherlock Holmes’s brother and love interest, information about the creative team and performers involved in the production, as well as a variety of activities to do with your class before and after the show. There are topics suitable for class discussion, individual writing projects, as well as games and exercises that get students moving around and learning on their feet. For this production, you’ll find activities that will get students having a conversation with a famous literary character, and playing a game right out of the show. We are also featuring an interview with director Jenna Rodgers about her take on this new Sherlock Holmes mystery. Sometimes your students might read an unusual word or term and feel some “ver- tigo”, so we’ve got handy-dandy blood spatters that provide definitions or point to topics of interest. Like this: Vertigo is a medical condition one of the symptoms of which is the sensation of movement in a sufferer who is not moving. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. Vertigo is the most common type of dizziness. 3 10 Things to Know About Going to the Theatre Because some of you may be first-time theatre attendees (and some of you more experienced theatre-goers may need a little reminder), we’ve compiled a Top 10 list of some of New York Show Tickets Do’s and Don’ts of Broadway Theatre Etiquette as well as a few of our own: 1. Power Down: Turn off your cell phone, people. Turn. It. Off. And, no, putting your cell phone on vibrate isn’t good enough - the people next to you can hear that weird buzzing sound, too. Besides which, the use of cameras and recording devices in the theatre is strictly prohibited. 2. Don’t Send Text Messages During the Show: You may think you’re being all incognito, but in a darkened theatre, the light from your cell phone screen is incredibly distracting to those around you. And why do you still have your phone on anyway? We just told you to turn it off! 3. Eat Your Lunch Before the Show, Not DURING It :This isn’t the movies. Eating, drinking or chewing gum is not permitted in the theatre. There is a water station out in the lobby for your use during the intermission. 4. Unwrap cough Drops and Candies in Advance: If you anticipate any coughing fits during the show, be sure to unwrap your lozenges before the performance starts and have them at the ready. That crinkling sound is like nails on a chalkboard during a quiet play. And, no, unwrapping it S-L-O-W-L-Y does not help the situation ... it’s much, much worse. 5. Preshow: When the houselights go down at the beginning of the play, this lets you know that weʼre starting. It is at this moment that the actors and technical staff do their final preparation for the opening moment, so please let them do their work by being quiet and respectful. 6. Don’t be a Disruptive Miss Manners: Sure, it’s irritating when someone’s cell phone goes off, but what’s even worse is when it’s followed by a series of annoyed “Tsks,” “Hmphs,” hisses, snarls, and shouts of “Turn it off!” can be just as distracting as the original disruption. 7. Zip those lips: A quick whisper to your neighbour, or an audible reaction to something interesting that happens on stage is fine (this is the live theatre, not the morgue), but keep conversations to the intermission and after the show. 8. Stay put, watch and enjoy the play: If you absolutely must use the washroom during the performance, please exit the theatre quickly and quietly. You will be readmitted to the theatre at the discretion of the House Manager. 9. You’re Not in your Living Room: Please do not stand up, walk around or put your feet on the seat or stage in front of you. Everyone around you, including the actors, will appreciate it. 10. Enjoy Yourself! Come to the theatre to get swept away into another world. Be sure to thank all of the artists for their hard work by applauding during the curtain call. 4 The Cast Mike Tan Sir Donald/Conor Ferguson Braden Griffiths Sherlock Holmes Garett Ross Mycroft Holmes/Dr. Mowbray Katherine Fadum Beatrice Grimes Kristen Padayas Alice Rogers/Lucy Chert Kathryn Kerbes Mrs. Hudson/Nanny Bull Curt McKinstry Dr. John Watson Rong Fu Fiona MacKenzie The Creative Team R. Hamilton Wright Playwright Jenna Rodgers Director Narda McCarroll Set & Lighting Designer Leslie Robison-Greene Costume Designer Andrew Blizzard Sound Design Karl Sine Fight Director Michael Howard Stage Manager Claire Bolton Assistant Stage Manager Jennifer Yeung Apprentice Stage Manager Jane Macfarlane Voice/Dialect Consultant Techart Custom Creations Set Construction Derek Paulich Head of Props Leah Macrae Head of Wardrobe Adam Production Apprentice Dawna Mark Scenic Painter Cutter/Stitcher Hairstylist 5 Sherlock Holmes and the Extended Family When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published his first Sherlock Holmes story A Study in Scarlet in 1887, he almost certainly didn’t dream that his characters and their world would become such a significant part of popular culture. But Conan Doyle’s stories have been constantly in print, adapted into virtually every medium—from video games to television to comic books—and re-imagined for each generation. Sherlock Holmes and the Raven’s Curse is an original story that makes use of the characters and the world created by Conan Doyle, but isn’t derived from any specific work. The writer of this adaptation, R. Hamilton Wright, chose to focus on Holmes’s family, using Conan Doyle’s character Mycroft Holmes—Sherlock’s older brother—and then creating a further extended family outside of the canon. Canon (Sherlock Holmes): The original works created by Conan Doyle himself, which is comprised of 56 short stories and four novels. Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock’s older brother by seven years, is a government official. Though his exact position is never stated. Sherlock describes him as “the most indispensable man in the country.” Mycroft is portrayed as having deductive and intel- lectual abilities that often surpass his brother’s. The difference between the two, however, is that Mycroft doesn’t possess Sherlock’s taste for fieldwork. The character can frequently be found in the Diogenes Club (a Conan Doyle invention where members are under strict orders to observe silence and not to talk to other members. 6 Irene Adler The character of Irene Adler doesn’t appear in SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE RAVEN’S CURSE, but she is almost certainly the inspiration for Fiona MacKenzie, Sherlock’s cousin. In the canonical stories, Adler is an opera singer and actress, who appears only in the short story A Scandal in Bohemia. She manages to best Holmes in a battle of wits, and he keeps a photograph of her and refers to her in subsequent stories. Though his feelings are never fully explored, there seems to be a possible romantic interest, or at least a platonic love. Though it was never confirmed by Conan Doyle, it has been long suspected by Sherlockians (the name for Holmes enthusiasts and scholars) that Irene Adler was based on singer Lily Langtry (pic- tured below). 7 Synopsis Time: December, 1890 Place: London and Scotland Sherlock Holmes is summoned to his childhood home to investigate the mysterious death of his favourite Uncle, and to uncover the truth about an ancient family curse. Along the way he is reunited with his long-lost cousins; an heiress apparent with a dark secret, and her adopted sister who may just be Sherlock’s intellectual superior. With danger lurking, Holmes and his loyal sidekick Watson must get to the bottom of this mystery before the Raven’s Curse claims another life. Characters Mr. Sherlock Holmes - A Consulting Detective Dr. John Watson - Sherlock’s partner Mrs. Hudson - The housekeeper of 221b Baker Street Mr. Mycroft Holmes - Holmes’s older brother Mrs. Beatrice Grimes (nee MacKenzie) - Holmes’s cousin Miss Fiona MacKenzie - Holmes’s cousin, Beatrice’s younger sister Sir Donald - Holmes’s uncle, owner of Ravenhall Estate Conor Ferguson - Ravenhall’s Footman Miss Alice Rogers - Sir Donald’s Nurse Nancy Bull - Ravenhall’s Housekeeper 8 Inside Vertigo Theatre We talk to director Jenna Rodgers about diversity in a classic series, the challenges of mystery theatre, and the crime stories that keep her on the edge of her seat. What interests you about this particular take on the Sherlock Holmes stories? A lot of the work that I do in the arts is rooted in equity and inclusion. I’m a firm believer that when playwrights do the great work of making space for culturally diverse stories in their work, that the creative teams assembled to produce the play should reflect some of that cultural specificity.