PTD Productions is set to bring the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson to the stage this May with its production of "The Hound of the Baskervilles."
"The Hound of the Baskervilles" is a play written by Tim Kelly based on the novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The play is a story in which Holmes and Watson investigate the death of Charles Baskerville, the heir to the Baskerville Estate, that is rumored to have been caused by a ghostly hound. Holmes and Watson investigate the case to prevent the murder of Henry Baskerville, the next heir.
Playwright Kelly adapted the novel into a play to fit the particular needs of small theaters. The show allows for smaller spaces and casts, as well as less elaborate costuming and sets. Kelly also emphasizes female characters in the show, as there were usually more female actors auditioning for shows at smaller theaters during the time the play was written, said David Andrews, the director of the production.
“The reason that I am doing it in particular myself is that I've always been a big fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories and Conan Doyle's writing, and I seem to be attracted to a lot of Victorian-era writers," Andrews said. "And this particular version by Tim Kelly is very deftly arranged so that it can be done by a theater company in a relatively small theater like PTD Productions uses at the Riverside Arts Center.”
Kelly wrote the play to take place in 1976, though Andrews has moved the setting back to 1951. Andrews said he imagines the 1970s as a time full of bright colors and disco music. He said the story is more grim and dark and fits better in the earlier decade.
“I think the important thing is that if people are, in fact, fans of the writer of the book, the characters of Holmes and Watson, that they will really see a lot that they will be happy with in terms of fulfilling their expectations for the characters, in addition to the little twists that the playwright has included to keep them guessing," Andrews said. "They will see the characters they have come to know and love over the decades portrayed in a way that fulfills their expectations and their hopes, and so I hope people who do like the books, do like the characters, do like the author, will come to the show and give me their opinion on how well we have upheld their expectations.”
"The Hound of the Baskervilles" will run May 7-10 and 13-16, 2026. The play will be performed at the Riverside Arts Center at 76 N. Huron St., Ypsilanti. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students, seniors and active military members, and can be purchased online at the PTD Productions website.
