Sherlock: A Choose Your Own Mystery
Adapted from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's mysteries

CONCEPT
Sherlock Holmes comes with baggage—generations of adaptations, tropes, and clichés that both shape and limit how we approach the character. From early stage versions described as “melodrama of the suburban” to more recent depictions that lean heavily into caricature. This adaptation seeks to peel back the performance and find the rhythm of the relationships: the unspoken tensions, the moments of humor, the deep companionship, and the eerie thrill of the unknown. I wanted to lean into the melodrama—the heightened stakes, the horror, the absurdity, and even the flavor of an old radio play. By inviting the audience into the story through direct address and interactive moments, we offer them both access and agency: they’re not just watching Sherlock solve the case; they’re solving it with him. This approach gives the company the freedom to play, and the audience the permission to join us. This is our Sherlock—faithful in spirit, fresh in form.

COLLABORATIVE TEAM

Set Design: Zoe Snead
​Costume Design: Rachel Sypniewski
Lighting Design: Henry Muller
Sound Design: Bryan McNeela
Stage Manager: Pola Swierzbinska

SET DESIGN
The spark for our design came from a single image: Scott Gustafson’s The Mystery of the Room Full of Clues. It’s a painting filled with layered references to various Sherlock Holmes stories, a kind of visual puzzle for the keen-eyed. That spirit—of embedded clues and layered meaning—inspired our world. What if every space held secrets? What if each scene, each costume, each piece of furniture was hiding an “Easter egg” for the most devoted fans? Our set evokes the feel of Wes Anderson—rooted in reality, but skewed in color and scale. It invites curiosity. It plays with artifice. The story moves quickly from moment to moment, and so does our design. We embraced a cinematic flow, imagining shifting environments built from flexible, reimagined pieces. Rotating frames, modular spaces, and layered texture create a world that’s both theatrical and transportive. It’s a space that can think like Sherlock—a little strange, a little elegant, and always one step ahead.

PRODUCTION PHOTOS