Sherlock Holmes is ready to rock and roll

Middletown —North American Culture Laboratory is bringing Detective Sherlock Holmes to Orange Hall Theater, Orange County Community College, in a performance of “The Uncanny Appearance of Sherlock Holmes,” scheduled for 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 29. ‘The Uncanny Appearance of Sherlock Holmes’ is a carnival-style crime investigation filled with live original rock music, high-energy acrobatics, slapstick comedy antics, cross-dressing and twentieth century philosophy. The play follows the world-famous detective as he investigates the bizarre murders of Drs. Jeremy Nietzsche and Kevin Freud. To complicate matters, Holmes becomes embroiled in a competition of wits against a formidable female detective, Jacqueline Derrida. As the investigation progresses, the case begins to unravel, and so does the very fabric of Holmes’ hyper-rational reality. This performance does not rely solely on narrative, as it is as much a rock concert as it is a play. The ensemble of actors doubles as a rock band and their original songs interlace with the story to reveal the inward spiral of Holmes’ psycho-emotional disintegration. Founded in 1997 by Tannis Kowalchuk and Brad Krumholz, the not-for-profit North American Cultural Laboratory creates original work that is very physical and often incorporates complex group singing. A surprising use of sets and objects by skilled actors transform space to capture the imagination of the spectator. In addition to the performance, Krumholz will present a free, public acting workshop entitled ‘Excavating the Actor’s Craft,’ from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 27 in Orange Hall Theater. He requests that participants wear loose fitting, but not torn, clothing and be prepared to work barefoot. Orange Hall is universally accessible and located at the corner of Grandview and Wawayanda Avenues, Middletown. Questions may be directed to Cultural Affairs by calling 341-4891, e-mailing cultural@sunyorange.edu or logging on to www.sunyorange.edu/lyceum.