The Hound of the Baskervilles opens at Westport Community Theatre

Opening night audiences of The Hound of the Baskervilles at Westport Community Theatre were enthusiastic about this most famous, and probably most popular, of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries. It continues its run Fridays, April 16 and 23, Saturdays, April 17 and 24 at 8 p.m., and Sundays, April 18 and 25 at 2 p.m.

Directed by Skip Ploss, F. Andrew Leslie's play is adapted from the novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It is a tale that deals with the curse of the Baskerville family and the fiendish killer-hound that stalks its members. As the action begins, Sir Charles Baskerville has died under mysterious circumstances, and his nephew and heir, the young Sir Henry, has been threatened even before his arrival at Baskerville Hall. Enlisting the aid of Sherlock Holmes, he sets out for his ancestral home on the Devon moor in the company of Dr. Watson, Holmes' trusted colleague -- a journey that brings him to danger, mystery and a menacing series of suspenseful events. Hard-pressed to protect his charge, and to fathom the strange mishaps besetting him, Dr. Watson is relieved when Holmes himself appears.

Ploss returns to the Westport Community Theatre after making his directorial debut there in 2005 with The Foreigner. Ploss has spent 18 years working in local theater, including serving on the board of The Wilton Playshop for more than 16 years (as president 2002--04). His other directing credentials include Wenceslas Square (Wilton High School), Candida (Town Players of New Canaan ), High School Musical, Willy Wonka Jr. and Annie Jr. (Wilton Children's Theater) and Arsenic and Old Lace, Guys and Dolls, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Six by Six, 1776, The Nerd (The Wilton Playshop). He wrote and directed two Wilton Singers Feast plays, My Big Fat Italian Feast and WASP on this Island. He has designed and built more than 10 sets including Arsenic and Old Lace, 1776 and Camelot.

The ensemble cast features an outstanding performance by Raymond Stephens as Dr. Watson. Stephens has been away from the footlights at WCT for far too long -- he returns to the WCT stage after his last appearance as Charlie in The Foreigner, also directed by Skip Ploss, several years ago. Last month he was seen as Brendan in the excellent New Canaan production of The Weir. Other shows include Brutus in Julius Caesar (Darien Town Players), Inspector Gore in An Inspector Calls (Forthill Players) and Blore in And Then There Were None (Curtain Call). When not on stage, he is designing sound plots, such as the sound for Catch-22 (Curtain Call).

Sam Mink, portraying the inimitable Sherlock Holmes, is pleased to be back working at WCT again. Some of the theatre's most memorable productions featured Mink, including Proof, Glengarry Glen Ross, Play It Again Sam, The Three Sisters, The Compleat Works of Wm. Shakespeare (Abridged), A Midsummer Night's Dream, various readings and workshops, and most recently another well known "character," the role of Sir Laurence Olivier in Orson's Shadow. Other favorite shows he has done with several area theaters include: Dracula (The Musical), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Arms and the Man, Spoon River Anthology, The Birthday Party, Death of a Salesman and The Trial of the Catonsville Nine.

He was a founding member of the Connecticut Guild of Puppetry and as part of a troupe, whose name is too long to mention, presented several wildly successful original shows including The Genie of Beans, The Battle of the Punch and Judies, Hamburgers for Happiness and the ever-popular Macbeth (the puppet version) which was much spookier than it sounds.

Returning to the WCT stage in The Hound of the Baskervilles is Scott R. Brill in the pivotal role of Dr. Mortimer. Brill received his master's in theatre directing from Emerson College in Boston, where he directed Man of La Mancha, The Ruffian on the Stair, four plays by Samuel Beckett and numerous one-acts. For Westport Community Theatre, Brill directed this season's opener, Barefoot in the Park, as well as productions of Da, What the Butler Saw, ART, Vanities, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella and Rumors.

Scott's other directing credits for area theatres include: Blithe Spirit, A Grand Night for Singing (New Canaan Town Players); Our Town, Rumors, A Thurber Carnival, Steel Magnolias (Darien Players); The Sisters Rosensweig, The Real Thing (Wilton Playshop); As Bees In Honey Drown (Brookfield Playhouse); The Actor's Nightmare, Blithe Spirit (Eastbound Theatre); Gypsy, South Pacific (Musicals at Richter) and Jeffrey, Burn This and several one-act plays (Grand Finale Production Company).

As an actor, Brill's roles include his recent critically acclaimed performance as Crumpet the Elf in The SantaLand Diaries (Playhouse on the Green), Allan Felix in Play It Again, Sam (for which he won the Square One Theatre Subscriber's Award for Outstanding Actor); Antony Wilding in Enchanted April (New Canaan Town Players); Gonzalo in The Tempest, Hortensio in Taming of the Shrew (Putney Players); Ko-Ko in The Mikado (Musicals at Richter); Wes Hurley in Fifth of July, Lloyd Dallas in Noises Off, Jesus in Godspell (Wilton Playshop); Albert in The Secret Garden (Warner Theatre) and Prince Dauntless in Once Upon A Mattress (SHU Center for the Performing Arts). Brill is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a past president of the Westport Community Theatre and currently serves as the workshops and education chairman on the board of the Wilton Playshop, where he recently directed a staged reading of the award-winning new musical, Greenbrier Ghost.

David Victor (Sir Henry Baskerville) was last seen at WCT in The Best Man and A Few Good Men. Victor recently debuted at Square One Theatre in The Right Kind of People, and in his first full Shakespearean production with Putney Players as in Much Ado About Nothing. Victoria Roy (Beryl Stapleton) previously appeared at WCT in Everything in the Garden and a staged reading of Uncle Vanya. Film credits include Baptism by Food (Midnight Movie Madness Competition), for which she won best comedy actress. Roy has trained at HB Studios (NYC) and Stamford Theatre Works. Making their debuts at Westport Community Theatre are Steve Benko, Kate Rakowski, Debbie Zager and Bob Filipowich.

The Hound of the Baskervilles is produced by Bob Lasprogato, with Trish Goldring is the production stage manager. The production's inventive lighting design is by Jeff Klein and the sound design is by Raymond Stephens; sound and lights are executed by Amy Louise Carter.

Tickets range from $12 to $18. Groups of 10 or more enjoy a $2 per ticket discount, and there is a special "student rush" discount 15 minutes before performances for students of all ages with a valid student identification card. For reservations, contact the Box Office at 203-226-1983; go to www.westportcommunitytheatre.com for directions to the theater.