The Red Circle met on Friday, September 19 at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda. 58 Sherlockians were on hand for drinks, conversation, dinner, and an outstanding program. Peter Blau marks this as the second highest turnout in the history of The Red Circle.

Our featured speaker was multi-award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig, whose new comedy Baskerville will have its world premiere at Washington's Arena Stage beginning on January 16, 2015. Ken's work has been performed in more than 30 countries in over 20 languages, including six shows on Broadway and six in the West End. He is also an avid Sherlockian, and Baskerville marks his third Holmes-themed play.

To everyone's delight, the presentation was much more a conversation than a speech, with Ken engaging the Red Circle on topics from choosing his subject matter to developing the script to finding the best production opportunities. Ken revealed that Baskerville will be cast with only five actors, three of whom will take on all the roles except Holmes and Watson. Like all Sherlockians, Ken is acutely aware of the dramatic power that has made The Hound of the Baskervilles a classic, and he told us that his goal is to tell this compelling story in a wildly new--and funny--way, while honoring the story and the storytelling in the bargain. It was an insider's take on the creative process, and the financial and marketing realities that must go with it. There were plenty of questions, and lots of good humor in the answers as Ken Ludwig gave us an insightful look at the world of theatre. To read more about Ken Ludwig, see his website here. 

Red Circle members were pleased to learn that there will be a theatre party at Arena Stage on Saturday, January 31 for the matinee of Baskerville, and that there are Red Circle discounts available for selected additional performances.