THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES Opens Tonight at Hackmatack Playhouse

4 Actors, 18 characters, over 150 sound cues, and one classic dark and stormy night. Hackmatack Playhouse is ramping up for their opening production of their 42nd Season: "The Hound of the Baskervilles." This fast-paced, comedic take on the classic brings some welcome laughs to the 1902 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle crime novel.

Director Jerard-James Craven is looking to tell this classic in a whole new light, "Pop culture right now is drenched in Sherlock Holmes, and this production really takes this well-known story and puts a hilarious spin on the mystery. IT Lovingly, and wittily, lampoons the characters and their relationships, while keeping the tension and thrill of the tale of the hellhound alive. Our production will take this script and put it into a modern radio play; our four actors will be engineering all the sound effects in addition to playing all of the characters. This creates, in my opinion, one of the most thrilling things to watch live in a theatre; chaos."

Crystal Lisbon has worked as both a leading actress and choreographer at Hackmatack Playhouse. "The Hound of the Baskervilles" will showcase a different side of Lisbon, a masculine one, as she takes on the role of Holmes' dimwitted (in comparison) companion. Lisbon smiles, "the gender-blind casting of this piece allows me to embrace the ridiculousness of Watson and give his relationship with Sherlock a different perspective." On returning for her 7th season, she says, "Hackmatack is uniquely New England; theatre like this just can't happen anywhere else."

Nick Iannotti, as Sherlock Holmes, is back for his 3rd summer in the barn and enjoying the process, "The atmosphere of Hackmatack is so welcoming; it really creates a creative working environment, and the 'Hound' script is pure fun which makes rehearsing it rewarding. Some shows get stale to rehearse, but this production, with so many different characters and a great cast to work with, is just a treat. It's rare you get the chance to play with the verbose language of Sherlock Holmes, and we're putting it to good use."

Chris Ferrill, in the role of the doomed but endlessly sunny heir to the Baskerville fortune, Sir Henry, and Sarah Andrews, as Sir Henry's mysterious and desperate love interest Cecile, are both gracing the Hackmatack stage for their first time. Ferrill thinks the production will tickle everyone's funny bone, "it's a great combination of wordplay and physical humor; something for everyone's taste." Andrews agrees, "This show does an intelligent parody of all of the key elements of the story."

Opening night for "The Hound of the Baskervilles" tonight, June 21 at 8:00PM. Other dates and times include Saturday, June 22 at 8:00PM, Wednesday, June 26 at 8:00PM, Thursday, June 27 at 2:00PM, Thursday, June 27 at 8:00PM, Friday., June 28, at 8:00PM, Saturday, June 29 at 8:00PM, Wednesday, July 3 at 8:00PM, Thursday, July 4 at 2:00PM, Friday, July 5 at 8:00PM, and Saturday, July 6 at 8:00PM.

Other shows this season at Hackmatack include "The Sound of Music," "Les Miserables," and "Driving Miss Daisy."

Tickets and 2013 Hackmatack Playhouse 'Flexi-Passes" are now available. Hackmatack Playhouse continues a tradition of affordable ticket prices with student, senior, and group discounts. Individual ticket prices are $25 for adults, $23 for seniors, Thursday senior special of $20, and $10 for students under age 20. Tickets are available on-line at www.Hackmatack.org or by phone, 207-698-1807.

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