Theater Review : Toothless ‘Hound of the Baskervilles’ Lacks Bark and Bite

It takes a pretty sharp production to make strong drama out of one of Tim Kelly’s simplistic adaptations of public domain classics, and this Cypress Civic Theatre production of his “The Hound of the Baskervilles” doesn’t come close.

Director Craig Harreld has designed an English country sitting room that looks more like the servants’ quarters, and though his staging moves swiftly and changes of mood and tempo are on the button, his actors are not up to breathing life into Kelly’s condensation of the famous mystery.

Along with a tendency to over-dodder, Dale Denton’s Dr. Watson hasn’t the quality of opaque reasoning that endears Watson to Sherlock Holmes, and of which Holmes is fond of making fun.

Nor is Tom Royer’s Holmes the man to continually astound Watson. Royer plays at being Holmes, rather than being him, his enigmatic aura represented by turning away from the other characters and staring blankly into space. Royer has none of Holmes’ sly humor, nor his blase ennui.

Both Denton and Royer, along with the entire cast, are far from sounding in any way British. Their accents are pasted-on affairs, which listening very closely to the video of any British film might have helped.

Jeanne Bosley’s Lady Agatha, Watson’s old crony who summons Holmes to the moor, screeches a bit, and her acting ranges from a grotesque frown to a silly forced grin.

Christopher Mondragon’s Sir Henry is so effete his disparaging comments on Jack Stapleton’s chasing butterflies sounds as though he doth protest too much, and his family retainers, the Barrymores (Rita Strong, Lee Parry) look as though they walked into the wrong play.

Lisa Linehan’s perky Kathy Stapleton is near the mark, but she loses that advantage in her last scene, with acting that would have been too much for early silent films.

Only Kari McCarthy as the mysterious Laura Lyons, and assistant director Steve Gomer, subbing for another actor as Stapleton, seem to have any idea what the moors, Baskerville Hall and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are all about.

* “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” Cypress Civic Theatre, Cypress Cultural Arts Center, 5172 Orange Ave., Cypress. Tonight and Saturday, 8 p.m. Ends Saturday. $8. (714) 229-6796. Running time: 2 hours. Jeanne Bosley: Lady Agatha Mortimer

Dale Denton: Dr. John Watson

Tom Royer: Sherlock Holmes

Christopher Mondragon: Sir Henry

Lee Parry: Barrymore

Rita Strong: Mrs. Barrymore

Lisa Linehan: Kathy Stapleton

Steve Gomer: Jack Stapleton

Kari McCarthy: Laura Lyons

A Cypress Civic Theatre Guild production of Tim Kelly’s adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s mystery. Direction/scenic design by Craig Harreld. Produced by Cindy Hawk. Lighting/technical design: John Stelling. Stage manager: Sabrina Bos.