Kirk Smith plays six of the 40 roles in the Arts Club’s production of Baskerville-A Sherlock Holmes Mystery. It gives him a real workout, he says, not just for his thespian talents, but athletically as well.
Baskerville is on stage at the Stanley Theatre until Oct. 9.
Except for the two leads, Holmes and Watson, the other three actors - including Smith - are in and out of costumes (sometimes right on stage) off and on the stage at dizzying speeds.
Meanwhile, the audience is kept busy watching not just the story but the special effects, which move as fast as the actors, with rooms coming in and off stage, moors and castles projected on moving screens, and mists coming across the moors all orchestrated by set and lighting designer Ted Roberts.
Smith’s main role is as a handsome Texan who comes to claim his heritage, after the old lord dies under mysterious circumstances. As the heir, he romances a local beauty and shows off his dancing and fighting skills, all with a Texas accent. Smith, who’s a Burnaby resident, is also the maid who scrubs floors, a tobacco seller, a detective and a servant, and doubles as his predecessor.
“We all have to work to split-second timing, but I think Lauren Bowler, the only woman in the cast, has to work the hardest, zipping out of boys’ clothing into fancy dresses and wigs and back again,” Smith laughs.
He attended the American Music and Drama Academy in New York, for two years, and says it was worthwhile because of the top-notch training and the first-class productions you can see.
Nominated for a Jessie Award for his acting in various local productions, he will be acting in Baskerville at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts this coming season, when this play goes on tour. He says he's looking forward to the shorter commute.
Meanwhile, you can catch the show and enjoy the talent and laughs at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, 2750 Granville St., Vancouver, until Oct. 9.
For info and tickets, call 604-687-1644 or see www.artsclub.com.
