Shakespeare & Company located in Lenox, Massachusetts is a renowned Shakespearean company and we had the good fortune to see the play, The Hound of the Baskervilles written by Steven Canny and John Nicholson, directed by Tony Simotes, and featuring a talented cast of Jonathan Croy, Josh Aaron McCabe, and Ryan Winkles during our stay in The Berkshires.

Founded in 1978, Shakespeare & Company has continued to gain a strong reputation over the years as an acclaimed theatre company and is committed to becoming the American Center for Shakespeare Performance, Training, and Education.

During our visit to The Berkshires in early November 2009, we saw the play, The Hound of the Baskervilles, performed in a theatre-in-the-round format in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre. The well-written 2-hour play by Steven Canny and John Nicholson, and perfectly delivered by the cast of Jonathan Croy, Josh Aaron McCabe, and Ryan Winkles, provided the audience with a delightful romp that had enough twists, turns, quick-paced witty repartee, and delicious innuendo to keep the multi-generational audience engrossed from the first howling of the hound until the solving of the mystery at the play's end.

Taking place in London, England 1889, The Hound of the Baskervilles based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original story, took the audience on a wild ride as Croy, McCabe, and Winkles performed over 20 roles including that of Mr. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Hilarious, engaging, and at times, over-the-top campy, interspersed with audience involvement, kept us laughing from beginning to end. The costumes were creative and inspired, and the lighting, sound effects, and music fully complemented  the overall effect of the play. In fact, we cannot remember the last time that we not only enjoyed a play as much and laughed as hard and as long.

With a three-person cast performing all of the roles, with help from on-stage set movers dressed as servants, the timing was split second perfect and seamless, and the cast delivered a well-polished play that ended with a rousing standing ovation and shouts of bravo by the enthusiastic audience.  The Hound of the Baskervilles is sure to go down in the annals of Shakespeare & Company as a definite hit. The play was so well received that it was not only one of their longer running plays with a scheduled performance run from September 18 - November 8, 2009,  they added an additional performance on November 9, 2009 to accommodate audiences who wanted to attend the sold-out play.

The biographies of the cast read like a who's who of theatre: Steven Canny, co-writer of The Hound of the Baskervilles, is a director, playwright and frequent collaborator with the award-winning international theatre company, Peepolykus, based in London, England; John Nicholson, co-writer of The Hound of the Baskervilles, is founder-director and regular performer with Peepolykus; Tony Simotes, founding member, 32^nd season with the Company, is a talented actor, director, and choreographer; Jonathan Croy, (who appears courtesy of Actor's Equity Association), in his 24^th season, has been a member of the Company since 1982 with more than 60 roles in 50 plays at the theatre and a long list of directing and acting credentials at respected theatres across the country; Josh Aaron McCabe, (who appears courtesy of Actor's Equity Association), in his 4^th season with the Company, has performed off-Broadway, in regional theatre companies, and has had acting roles on television; and Ryan Winkles, in his 4^th season with the Company, has a long list of acting credentials to his name.

The Hound of the Baskervilles Cast

For information about Shakespeare & Company please visit their website or contact the Shakespeare & Company Box Office for their upcoming performances and schedules including the performance of Les Liaisons Dangereuses that runs from January 29 until March 21, 2010.

Shakespeare & Company
70 Kemble Street
Lenox, Massachusetts 01240
United States
Box office:       +1-413-637-3353
Main office:      +1-413-637-1199
Fax:                 +1-413-637-4274
Email:              This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   
www.Shakespeare.org 

Read other articles on The Berkshires in the Destinations, Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, Chefs' Recipes, and Spas sections.

For more information on The Berkshires, please visit the Berkshire Visitors Bureau website: www.Berkshires.org.

For more information on Massachusetts, please visit the website: www.MassVacation.com.

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