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Exclusive Interview: Will Johnson and Joseph G. Tobin of Avon Players' 'Holmes and Watson' · The BSB Podcast

• 0:00
  There's surely a game afoot and Avon Players is ready to solve the mystery with their production of Holmes and Watson.
• 0:05
  And today we're talking with two of the cast members, Joseph Tobin and Will Johnson.
• 0:08
  Thank you two for joining us today.
• 0:09
  How are you two doing?
• 0:11
  Doing great, thanks for having us.
• 0:13
  Fantastic, great to be here.
• 0:15
  This seems like such a fun show, ah but I don't think it's one that many people know.
• 0:19
  I know that people are going to know versions of Sherlock Holmes.
• 0:23
  But, what's kind of going on in the story of Holmes and Watson?
• 0:27
  it's great.
• 0:27
  It's totally a mystery.
• 0:29
  It keeps the audience guessing the whole show through all 90 plus minutes, I think, right, Joey?
• 0:36
  Yeah, there's lots of twists and turns.
• 0:37
  I'm trying to be careful not to reveal any spoilers, obviously.
• 0:42
  But the premise is that there are three different Holmes and Watson's trying to figure out who's who among them.
• 0:48
  There's a mystery about what happened at Reichenbach Falls.
• 0:52
  And Joey, I don't know if you want to add to that as well.
• 0:56
  yeah, the whole premise of the show is, like Will said, there's three of us.
• 1:01
  ah We all play different varieties of Holmes in a way that, you know, when you hear the word
• 1:08
  Sherlock Holmes, you think of many things.
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  You think of the arrogance that he has, the mania that drives him to always be correct and be the smartest person in the room.
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  And it's really, really fun to see how these characters are portraying these different aspects of Holmes to really bring him to life in three separate entities.
• 1:29
  It's fantastic.
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  It's a ton of fun.
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  And you two are playing two different Holmes.
• 1:33
  It's just really cool to be able to talk to two of the three people who are bringing Holmes to life.
• 1:39
  So, Will, what's kind of your Holmes Or like, are, like, who, like, what's your portrayal of Holmes in the story?
• 1:45
  Yeah, so when I went to the audition, when I read the audition parts, it described to Holmes one, as I'm referred to on stage as kind of the classic Holmes.
• 1:55
  So really the Holmes that we see across movies and TV shows, you know, to Joey's point, he's got that arrogance.
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  He's always right.
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  Always knows everything before anyone else does.
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  A lot of those kind of concepts come through with Holmes one, um which is shared across Holmes one through three.
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  So I'm probably
• 2:15
  of the stereotype Holmes than the other two.
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  Joey's got a very interesting uh twist on Holmes as well.
• 2:24
  Yeah.
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  what's your, what's your Holmes?
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  Who is he?
• 2:27
  So my Holmes is more plays into that mania aspect that I was talking about earlier, where of, um you really see him flip a switch when he knows he's not gonna be getting his way.
• 2:42
  And it plays into the insanity that is Sherlock Holmes and being able to bring that insanity of life in a way that portrays Sherlock Holmes properly is honestly the most fun
• 2:51
  that I've had in a production in years.
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  uh
• 2:55
  It's a very interesting, I don't want to give any away either because it really, it really is just, it is hard to know when you're like saying too much, but if you want to see how
• 3:07
  crazy Holmes can get, this would be the spot.
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  And I guess where do you start developing a character such as that, Joe?
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  Like, where do you start with the little more maybe uh manic Holmes?
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  So the one thing that I started with is honestly researching cocaine because Sherlock Holmes was a habitual cocaine user.
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  So the franticness that comes with it is something that I was like, okay, I need to bring that more to the forefront of who he is as a character.
• 3:39
  And again, the flipping of a switch plays a major part in it.
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  You never know what's gonna be coming out of his.
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  mouth next you never know how he's going to react to whatever you're going to say.
• 3:49
  And that's really where I molded it around of trying to be unpredictable but also keep the Holmes facade.
• 3:57
  eh
• 3:59
  you know, having a little more of the narcissistic Holmes, perhaps.
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  You know, where did you start with developing that character?
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  I really tried to center it around...
• 4:10
  the relationship with Watson, right?
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  Because there's so much dialogue with Watson throughout the show.
• 4:17
  Like I started there, like what is this relationship that we've seen in movies, we've seen in TV shows, et cetera.
• 4:24
  What's my spin on it in this, you know, the confines of the things I can't say that happened in this play, um which has been a lot of fun.
• 4:31
  And it's also been very fun.
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  uh Joey's Holmes and my Holmes have this interaction throughout the whole 90 minutes,
• 4:41
  is a whole lot of fun.
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  It's translated to offstage now as we get to know each other and it's been so much fun.
• 4:47
  eh
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  think I've said it a few times, Will and I will either be best friends or mortal enemies by the end of this show.
• 4:56
  It is so much fun working with them,
• 4:58
  Yeah.
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  But that adds to the dynamics on stage, which just makes for a better show.
• 5:03
  absolutely.
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  So in a play where identity is kind of uncertain, Joseph, where do you kind of approach playing a character whose truth maybe isn't fully revealed until the end?
• 5:15
  I mean, with something like Sherlock Holmes, obviously there's red herrings all over the place.
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  So slipping in a red herring here and there to keep people on their toes of guessing, is that the real Holmes?
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  Is he a fake?
• 5:32
  Keeping that tension up and high is probably the most important instead of being...
• 5:39
  you're supposed to be I should say you know because it with the show it's all about figuring out who is who and if I give out right at the very beginning who is who where's
• 5:49
  the fun in the show so keeping that tension high and that question high is in my opinion the most important
• 5:57
  definitely makes sense.
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  You you want this to be a fun ride for everybody and part of the mystery is who is the real Sherlock.
• 6:04
  And Will, for you, how do you kind of balance the ambiguity without giving away too much as you're bringing your Holmes through the show?
• 6:12
  Yeah, I mean, it is difficult as Joey kind of alludes to.
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  All of us in the cast know the secrets, right?
• 6:19
  We know all the secrets.
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  But you and as I read the script more and more and more, I started to discover new things that I hadn't noticed previously.
• 6:29
  And I'm like, oh, that was there the whole time.
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  Like, so I was stumbling upon even more secrets.
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  I was reading the script.
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  So it's fascinating what the author did with it.
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  But it is is challenging.
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  just you try to write the story.
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  And as the plot starts to unfold, you have these bigger and bigger moments as you get closer to the end where you get to do smaller reveals, smaller reveal, and then at the end
• 6:51
  these huge reveals which are so fun.
• 6:53
  Yeah.
• 6:56
  with a performance kind of like this, and Joe, I'm gonna start with you, is just how do you balance the confidence and the vulnerability in your performance?
• 7:02
  Because it sounds like, know, Sherlock Holmes we all know to be very confident, kind of arrogant and stuff like that.
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  But it sounds like as you're going through, you're kind of finding these truths within this character and also within the story.
• 7:13
  Well, that's the thing with Sherlock Holmes is because is who is he really?
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  Obviously you get the confidence, arrogance, mania.
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  We've been over this.
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  He is not a one-dimensional character of confidence.
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  He has these feelings for these people that he loves, which includes John Watson.
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  So being able to show these vulnerabilities and continue and spiral off of them and
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  I'm sorry, I've lost myself.
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  Continue along with it.
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  basically weave this tale of truth and lies through this show.
• 7:48
  It really, really keeps it up, I should say.
• 7:53
  Will, is there a fine line between the confidence and vulnerability for these characters?
• 7:58
  You know, Holmes 1 is just so overly confident, just like spewing confidence.
• 8:05
  Especially toward the top of the show.
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  But again, as we start to get into the thick of the plot and the, you know, the mystery starts to unravel a little bit, those vulnerabilities do start to come out.
• 8:15
  And those are real, really fun, emotional moments for us as actors, right?
• 8:20
  That's where we start to let that, that facade fade and these different emotions come out.
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  Joey's, Joey gets some really, really fun moments.
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  um as an emotional actor, um but we all get those too.
• 8:32
  So it's so fun to see how it starts to unravel for each of the Holmes as we get closer to the end.
• 8:38
  You know, with a play like this as well, I don't wanna assume anything.
• 8:41
  I have not seen the show yet, but like, it feels like there would probably be like a level of psychological tension within the show.
• 8:46
  Is that correct?
• 8:49
  Okay.
• 8:51
  Where does that, like, how does like with the staging and everything and the set design, how was Avon players kind of conveying the psychological tension on stage will?
• 9:01
  Wow, that's a great question.
• 9:03
  The set is amazing.
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  Like Joey and I and the cast have seen it transform over the past few weeks.
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  When we started rehearsals, it was just, you know, wood and some blocks and things.
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  And then it felt like literally overnight, it was this amazing set that we got to play with.
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  it really just, you know, it took with, with costuming starting to come in and props starting to come in.
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  Everyone was getting off book.
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  Everyone was really like settling into their character.
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  And then the set was ready.
• 9:27
  That was like, wow, it really put us in that timeframe in that
• 9:31
  moment when the story takes place and Avon and all the volunteers and all of the stage crew and everything have just made it look amazing.
• 9:40
  It's so cool.
• 9:41
  Yeah.
• 9:42
  And Joe, about for you, what is like, I mean, it's an asylum, correct?
• 9:46
  So like, how does that kind of impact performance and also what is it like for that psychological tension for you?
• 9:52
  So with the set design that's become most apparent, is, don't get me wrong, Avon Players, it's a smaller theater.
• 10:00
  So we work with the space that we have and it is a very, very beautiful set.
• 10:06
  It may be simple, but it is gorgeous.
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  And the tension that is brought about by it being so simple.
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  is that you can pay more attention to the very small actions that each character is taking.
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  And you will see someone fidget and, you know, write something down somewhere.
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  It may be something that's small, just in the script.
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  You don't need to worry about it.
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  Or it is one of the biggest reveals in the entire show.
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  So keeping an eye out.
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  on every single character at every single point time keeps that tension high and makes sure that everybody is paying attention at all points because you don't want to miss a
• 10:44
  single thing that's going on in the show.
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  So what you're saying is that this is a show you have to see multiple times to be able to capture everything.
• 10:50
  You might miss a few things.
• 10:51
  That's what I'm saying.
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  I mean, a couple tickets.
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  You will not miss a single thing on the second watch through.
• 10:57
  I will tell you that because you will be locked in the entire time.
• 11:01
  But you know, that's so cool about shows.
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  I obviously love theater and I love Broadway, and so to have a show where you can kind of, everything could be a possible clue or not a possible clue, and you have to dissect that
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  all.
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  I mean, within 90 minutes, that's not a lot of time to take it all in and kind of pull that apart.
• 11:18
  It's not.
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  is like I said, uh a second ticket never hurts to go and make sure you catch every single aspect of this show.
• 11:26
  Because like I said earlier, the Red Herrings are throughout.
• 11:31
  Don't get me wrong.
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  There are truths and lies thrown around like no other.
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  It is a mystery at its core and it is a Sherlock Holmes mystery at its core.
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  So you always know there's going to be some massive twist right at the end or halfway through or right at the beginning.
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  You never know.
• 11:47
  You'd have to come see the show.
• 11:52
  I was, yeah, are you gonna commission off of the ticket sales?
• 11:57
  You're doing a good job.
• 12:00
  So with a show kind of like this, Will, kind of themes really resonate or stand out to you about Holmes and Watson?
• 12:07
  uh I really do like that you mentioned like the psychical kind of show that it is, or psycho, I forget the word you use, but there is a dark uh bit to it, which is really cool.
• 12:17
  There's comedic moments, there's very serious moments, but I do like that kind of dark mystery where you don't know who's who on stage, you don't know what secrets they have,
• 12:28
  what they're hiding.
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  uh
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  and then they start to get revealed and there's going to be a lot of aha moments for sure.
• 12:34
  But I do like the darkness of it.
• 12:36
  I think it's really cool.
• 12:38
  It definitely makes, Sherlock Holmes always kind of borders on that darkness a little bit.
• 12:42
  A lot of the stories, a lot of the movies, any kind of version of it.
• 12:45
  So it's cool to be able to kind of see that and they're not trying to make it just easily family digestible.
• 12:51
  This is a story that has a little darkness and you have to accept that.
• 12:54
  Right, right.
• 12:56
  Joseph, how about for you, what themes from this show really resonate with you?
• 12:59
  Honestly, I just really got to piggyback off Will.
• 13:02
  He phrased it perfectly of it.
• 13:06
  The show in and of itself is the epitome of Sherlock Holmes.
• 13:11
  know, you have those darker aspects of.
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  I mean, it's not exactly a murder mystery.
• 13:16
  It's a who isn't a dead mystery, if I should say.
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  um And.
• 13:25
  bringing it all together, you I haven't done theater in about nine years, you know, and I mainly did comedies way back then.
• 13:31
  So getting into more of a dramatic scene has really brought out a lot of what I could do.
• 13:39
  And it really has helped me as an actor and it helped me get a better view of what acting can be and where everything kind of follows through into the drama scene.
• 13:52
  Well, welcome back.
• 13:53
  What a show to come back to.
• 13:54
  Honestly, know my I have to blame blame I have to thank my cousin Teren for badgering me for years Since she's involved with a on Avon so so heavily to get involved with this and
• 14:08
  I told her I was like look if I'm gonna do something I want it to be something that I love and Sherlock Holmes is That's got to be something everybody loves
• 14:15
  Mm-hmm.
• 14:15
  For sure, absolutely.
• 14:17
  So then one final question for both of you before I let you go, because I know you have rehearsal tonight and everything.
• 14:20
  ah But Will, what are you hoping audiences take away from this production of Holmes and Watson at Avon Players?
• 14:26
  I really want to hear those gasps as the big reveals happen, you know, throughout the show.
• 14:32
  I just, want them to come in and have a seat and for 90 minutes just really be pulled into this world of Sherlock Holmes and the mystery and the suspense and there's those comedic
• 14:44
  moments.
• 14:44
  And again, those big reveals, like I just would love to see audience members sitting on the edge of their seats, you know, as these moments happen.
• 14:52
  It would be so cool.
• 14:53
  Perfect answer.
• 14:54
  Joe, how about for you?
• 14:56
  same exact thing here.
• 14:57
  I'm hearing the tension in the room as these characters are talking is going to be one of the most mind-numbingly just exciting things for me because that's how we know we gotcha.
• 15:09
  You know?
• 15:11
  You are waiting and hanging on every single word and that is what I want to hear.
• 15:15
  opposed to Will, I want to hear dead silence.
• 15:18
  I want to be able to hear a pin drop in the audience because everybody is hanging.
• 15:22
  Right, right.
• 15:23
  Well, I think with the way that you two are talking about the show, I think that is exactly what's going to happen.
• 15:28
  You're either going to have very expressive people or you're going to have the silence where you know that they are just waiting to see what's next.
• 15:35
  So thank you so much for being here and talking with me today.
• 15:38
  It's been such a pleasure.
• 15:39
  Yeah, thank you, Brian.
• 15:40
  it, yeah, thank you, Brian.
• 15:41
  So Holmes and Watson runs at Avon Players March 6th through the 21st.
• 15:45
  So get your tickets now and we'll see you at the show.