There’s something timeless about the crackle of an old radio that brings stories back to life.
iTheatre Saratoga captures that magic in The Baker Street Adventuress: Sherlock Holmes on the Air, a world premiere production by playwright and iTheatre artistic director Mary Jane Hansen, opening November 14 at Saratoga Music Hall.
The play reimagines Holmes not through foggy London streets but within the hum and hiss of a 1930s broadcast studio. Inspired by the true story of Edith Meiser, a vaudeville performer who revived the legendary fictional detective for early American radio, Hansen’s script blends biography and imagination. The first act follows Meiser’s bold leap from vaudeville to the microphone—convincing NBC to air a live Holmes drama at a time when the character had all but disappeared from American consciousness. The second act recreates her 1930 broadcast of the Sherlock Holmes short story The Speckled Band, complete with foley effects, an orchestral score, and the tactile rhythms of vintage soundcraft.
“It’s one of those heroes from the past that never got her due,” says Will Severin, iTheatre Saratoga chairman and the play’s composer and sound designer. “It’s great to see somebody have their story told—and in such an entertaining way.”
Severin says it’s been the theater’s mission to shine the spotlight on local work performed by local actors as often as possible. Hansen leads a local ensemble that includes Matthew Bagley, Johnny Martinez, John McGuire, Anny DeGange, Kim Wafer, and Sky Vogel—familiar names to Capital Region theatergoers.
“We try to employ as many local artists as we can,” Severin says. “We believe that artists should be paid for their work… It’s important to encourage not only audiences that are looking to have a new experience, but also artists in our community to present opportunities for them to work their craft.”
Developed with support from Saratoga Arts through an Independent Artist Grant, The Baker Street Adventuress runs November 14–24 at Saratoga Music Hall on the third floor of City Hall. Visit itheatresaratoga.org for tickets and details.
