Sherlock Holmes: Theater to remember

The game is afoot! UW-Waukesha's latest theatrical production, "Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure" is well underway. This play, written by Steven Dietz, is one of mystery, adventure, and also romance. It is the creative combination of two of Arthur Conan Doyle's famous Sherlock Holmes stories "The Scandal in Bohemia" and "The Final Problem". In its early stages, "The Final Adventure" is turning out to be both a challenge and an opportunity for the show's director, Steven Decker, and his talented cast. I had the pleasure of interviewing Decker, which allowed The Observer to get an inside look on his goals for the show. First, a conversation with Decker illuminated the triumphs and struggles of putting together a show of this nature. Decker has been an associate professor of communication and theatre arts at UW-Waukesha for four years. In his time here, he has directed a wide variety of shows. This show, as well as a few past shows, coincides with "Waukesha Reads", a program coordinated through the Waukesha Public Library. This program is all about connecting the community through literature and it is also one of the factors that lead Decker to choose this show. He explained that "Waukesha Reads" is an excellent way to get the UW-Waukesha theatre department involved with the community. He said that because it is a growing program, sometimes it can be hard to get people in the door. He said that he has never done a mystery before, and he chose "The Final Adventure" because it was lighter and less dry than other Sherlock Holmes plays. The audition process was interesting for him; he had a good turnout which made for some tough decisions. "It's exciting to see new faces and people who are new to the process. In a way, I am always a detective in the show," Decker said. He hopes that the show will bring in a large audience and will encourage students and community members to show interest in future UW-Waukesha productions. "Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure" runs from Fri., Oct. 21 to Sun., Oct. 23 and is free to UW-Waukesha students with an ID.