East Lynne Theater Company to Present HOLMES AND CARTER

Why did a man in Pennsylvania create The Red-Headed League in London? Who is the person behind "The Voice" stealing millions in Manhattan? All will become clear when the award-winning Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company brings back its popular radio-style productions.

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." ELTC invites you to be part of our radio audience on Friday and Saturday, November 4 and 5, with two mysteries under the title "Detectives Holmes and Carter."

In "The Adventure of the Red-Headed League," Sherlock Holmes must learn why a man from Lebanon, PA, left money in his will to start a club for men with red hair. In "The Voice of Crime," the illusive "Vox" announces he will pay Nick Carter if the clever detective discovers where his next robbery will occur. The same cast of seven perform both shows back-to-back on the same night, going from Holmes' Victorian England to Carter's Manhattan during World War II.

While "The Red-Headed League" is not the original script by Edith Meiser that was aired on NBC (this one is adapted by Gayle Stahlhuth), "The Voice of Crime" IS the original script, used with permission by Conde Nast.

Lee O'Connor has taken on the role of Holmes for ELTC since the company produced an elaborate staged reading of William Gillette's "Sherlock Holmes" in 2002, and has become one of the main storytellers for the company's "Tales of the Victorians." Fred once more portrays Dr. Watson. He was in ELTC's "Anna Christie," "Rain," "Dulcy," and "The Poe Mysteries," and has appeared in over fifty shows in NYC, including the off-Broadway revival of Mae West's "Sex."

Taking on the role of Nick Carter is Mark Edward Lang. His work with ELTC includes "Zorro!" as an actor, and "Anna Christie," as a director. His "Lunt and Fontanne: The Celestials of Broadway" was selected to be part of the New York International Fringe Festival this past August. Mark wrote the script and performed with Allison J. Murphy.

James Rana, Thomas Raniszewski, Robert LeMaire, and Gayle Stahlhuth take on a variety of roles and all have performed, too, with ELTC. James portrayed Van Helsing in ELTC's "Dracula" and is currently writing a play on World War I that will have staged readings throughout NJ in March, with a full production for ELTC in the fall of 2017. His one-man "Christmas Carol" returns to Actors Shakespeare Company this December. Also in "Dracula," was Thomas, who was in "Dying Like Ignacio" in NYC this past spring. Robert has been performing off-and-on with ELTC since "The Dictator" in 2001, and will be heading up ELTC's arts-in-education programs including the 11th annual Summer Student Theater Workshop in 2017.

Gayle Stahlhuth, who adapted "The Red-Headed League" and directed, is in her eighteenth year of serving as artistic director to the nonprofit East Lynne Theater Company. The company's annual fundraiser, "A Masked Gala" is on Monday, October 31 at Aleathea's Restaurant at The Inn of Cape May starting at 5:30.

Performances are at The First Presbyterian Church of Cape May, 500 Hughes St., where the company is in residence. Tickets are $27 for general admission, $17 for full-time students and those in the military, and, as always, ages 12 and under are free. For information and reservations, call 609-884-5898 or go online to www.eastlynnetheater.org. "Detectives Holmes and Carter Mysteries" is part of Cape May's "Sherlock Holmes' Weekend." For other Sherlock Holmes' events, contact The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and Humanities at 609-884-5404 or online at www.capemaymac.org.

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