Sherlock Holmes on the Stage: A Chronological Encyclopedia of Plays Featuring the Great Detective [Hardcover]

Amnon Kabatchnik (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 10, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0810861259 | ISBN-13: 978-0810861251

One of the world's most well known fictional characters, Sherlock Holmes first appeared in print in 1887. The detective was featured in four novels and 56 short stories written by his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Within a decade of his creation Sherlock Holmes made his theatrical debut, first in a couple of obscure productions and soon in the celebrated play adapted by and starring William Gillette. Through the 20th century and beyond, the fictional detective featured in dozens of plays, not to mention radio programs, films, and television shows.

In Sherlock Holmes on Stage, Amnon Kabatchnik cites the many theatrical appearances of the great detective since his debut in a one-act musical satire in November 1893. Divided into three sections, this book focuses on plays written or cowritten by Conan Doyle, one-act productions, and plays written by other authors—either adaptations of the novels and stories or original works. Within these sections, each entry is arranged in chronological order and provides a plot synopsis, production details, and other unique features. Some entries identify principal actors and provide biographical sketches of the playwrights, as well as those actors who made a lasting impression as the fictional sleuth. The book also includes several appendixes that focus on special productions, plays that feature variations of the Holmes character, and a list of acting editions.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Page-turner....This is the kind of detail that brings the history of Sherlock Holmes in the theater to life.... Thick with interest to Sherlock Holmes scholars, theater students, and late 19th century popular scholars like. (College and Research Libraries, March 2009 )

Preferable to others...it provides the opportunity to enjoy the plays rather than merely read a list. The volume is much more accessible than the play scripts themselves, many of which are quite scarce. The characterizations of Holmes, Watson, and their milieu are dizzying in their variety and complexity. (La Times, August 2008 )

The author of Blood on the Stage: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery, and Detection: An Annotated Repertoire, 1900-1925...has written an equally meritorious survey of the theatrical Holmes....What sets this book apart from other references on the 'public Holmes' are the detailed plot summaries and production histories, often including further professional biography of writers and actors involved. (Mystery Scene, December 01, 2008 )

Kabatchinik's research for this book leaves me in awe....Kabatchnik...does a good job. (Deadly Pleasures )

A concise overview.... Clearly written.... Sufficiently engaging.... Will appeal to any library supporting Sherlockian interests or theater studiesssss (Arba )

Theatre director Amnon Kabatchnik has done his homework and then some....It's hard to imagine you'll find a single source as detailed and thorough....recommended for Holmes completists and those with a meticulous fascination with theatre history. (Bookgasm.Com )

A concise overview.... Clearly written.... Sufficiently engaging.... Will appeal to any library supporting Sherlockian interests or theater studies (Arba )

It is highly likely that Amnon Kabatchnik's book on Holmes is a first, as it examines the theatrical Holmes. Each chapter in the book ends with a set of notes, and appendix G provides a full list of the plays in the book. On close reading the book is written in a style that contains an element of humor and distinct tongue-in-cheek. Clearly this book is worth purchasing for institutions that run courses which relate to Conan Doyle's work or fictional crime literature. (Reference Review, June 2009 )

From that inglorious beginning, the famous resident of 221B Baker Street has gone on to star in musicals, comedies, thrillers, solo shows, at least one puppetry piece, and a fairy tale about the heir of a marshmallow tycoon. Such are the revelations of Kabatchnik's energetically researched volume, which covers scores of Doyle-derived works. Theatre scholars and hardcore Sherlockians will welcome this book... (American Theatre, October 1, 2009 )

About the Author

Amnon Kabatchnik, now retired, was a Professor of Theatre at SUNY Binghamton, Stanford University, Ohio State University, Florida State University, and Elmira College. He is the author of Blood on the Stage: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery and Detection, An Annotated Repertoire, 1900-1925 (Scarecrow, 2008) and Blood on the Stage II (Scarecrow, 2009).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Scarecrow Press (June 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810861259
• ISBN-13: 978-0810861251
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #794,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Amnon Kabatchnik holds a BS degree in theater and journalism from Boston University, where he won the Rodgers & Hammerstein Award, he holds an MFA from the Yale School of Drama. He has been a member of the director's unit with the Actors Studio in New York and has been appointed professor of theater at the State University of New York at Binghamton, Stanford University, Ohio State University, Florida State University, and Elmira College.

Kabatchnik has directed numerous dramas, comedies, thrillers, and musicals for national road companies, resident theatres, Off Broadway, and summer stock. Kabatchnik's directorial work in New York earned him the Lola D'Annunzio Honorary Citation for Outstanding Contribution to the Off-Broadway Theatre. Recently, Kabatchnk staged the hit off-Broaday revival of the 1940 Gothic drama "Ladies in Retirement." Backstage.com raved "Amnon Kabatchnik's confident production [is] treated with loving care in the hands of this worthy ensemble."

Kabatchnik now shares his knowledge and love of the theatre with us through his writings. The three volumes in his BLOOD ON THE STAGE series covers seventy five years of plays written and produced during the respective eras. The plays covered had at least one public performance in the English language, with an emphasis on New York and London performances. Of course, each entry revolves around murder, theft, chicanery, kidnapping, political intrigue, or espionage.

The entries are arranged in chronological order, each consisting of plot summary (often including significant dialogue), production and performance data, opinions by critics and scholars, and other features.

Kabatchnik received an Agatha Award Nomination in 2010 from the Malice Domestic Committee for BLOOD ON THE STAGE: 1925-1950. His latest release in the series is BLOOD ON THE STAGE: 1950-1975.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Tribute to the Great Detective Story, August 11, 2008

By 

R. Elliott - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sherlock Holmes on the Stage: A Chronological Encyclopedia of Plays Featuring the Great Detective (Hardcover)

This book was written for people passionate about Sherlock Holmes. It's an homage not only to Holmes but to all those who have loved him over the years. The book is, of course, an encyclopedia of all the Sherlock Holmes plays, but it's the anecdotes within the work that arrested me: William Gillette, who co-authored the first Holmes play with Sir Conan Doyle, portrayed Holmes more than 1,300 times in his life, and his final performance was on a radio broadcast when he was 82 years old, two years before his death. If that moves you (and it did move me very much, especially after reading about his life-long affair with the fictional sleuth), you'll be delighted to find an author who shares this enthusiasm. The book travels from 1890 to the present day, and Sherlock Holmes and his environment change drastically as the plays evolve to reflect the changing times. In the end, the book is useful as a reference, but for me it was also an entertaining tribute to the author's, society's and my own passion for the `great detective story.'