On this day before Thanksgiving, Mathias Oliver, Jerry Sciarrio and Dallan Starks sat down in the KPBX studio with E.J. Iannelli to discuss the Spokane Civic Theatre’s new production of A Sherlock Carol.
The holiday murder mystery is a melding of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories and Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Sciarrio is directing; Starks and Oliver are playing Sherlock Holmes and Tiny Tim (aka Dr. Tim Cratchit), respectively.
Sciarrio provided some backstory on the hybrid nature of A Sherlock Carol as well as how the Civic's artistic director, Jake Schaefer, came across this relatively new holiday show. It debuted at New York City's New World Stages in 2021.
Oliver and Starks talked about how their characters reflect their classic literary depictions and also some ways in which they differ. For example, Oliver's Tiny Tim is older and here assumes the role that is traditionally assigned to Dr. Watson. Starks, meanwhile, said that Sherlock is decidedly more Scrooge-like in A Sherlock Carol.
The two actors performed a scene that introduces their characters and also sets up the case that Holmes is asked to solve — with Scrooge himself being the murder victim.
A Sherlock Carol opens this Friday (Nov. 24) on the Spokane Civic Theatre’s main stage and runs there until December 17.
For tickets and more information, visit the Spokane Civic Theatre's website or call their box office at (509) 325-2507.
