"The Game’s Afoot" Play Needs Performers

Gillette is a consummate actor who has played the role of Sherlock Holmes for years; he is much like Holmes: smart, analytical and, in this play at least, has a compulsive need to seek honor and virtue; he is now wealthy from playing the role of Sherlock; during the play, he seeks (in his Sherlockian manner) to find the person he believes tried to kill him.

A once actress, Martha is a bit dotty and confused at times but this shouldn't fool you; she is smart and very aware of what moves the people around her and isn't afraid to be blunt about it; she is way past that; she is William's mother and lives with him in his mansion; she loves William more than anything, and would kill for him to protect him if need be.

She is a journeyman actress recently in one of William's shows; she is very attractive, and shows herself as warm, charming, kind, and effervescent; she carries the quality of a woman of great virtue without being old fashion; underneath that, she is a schemer who would do anything for money and the life style of the rich and famous; she is married to Simon but her interest in him is sexual and financial; she is actually and genuinely in love with William Gillette.

Simon is also a journeyman actor in the same show as Aggie with William; Simon is the less experienced actor of the group; he tries hard to fit in and can be quite funny and charming; he is married to Aggie, but his interest in her is sexual and financial; his romantic interest actually is with a secret girlfriend. He, like Aggie, is a schemer who would do anything for money and must hide his true self from the others.

The company's character actor, Felix is histrionic; he is a true theatrical who has given his life for the stage; Gillette's best friend and occasional sidekick, married to Madge; actor must have great comic skills and be physically strong.

An accomplished actress and in William's troupe of actors doing the Sherlock series; she is a close and loyal friend to William; she is quite smart and practical; she has overcome many obstacles in life, but always just sticks her chin out and perseveres; she is full of life and spunk, and can be quite humorous; she is married to Felix, in a good and tight marriage despite his occasional affairs.

Glamorous and gorgeous, Daria is the theatre critic everyone loves to hate; biting, witty, and utterly charming, you can't help but like Daria, despite the terrible things she says and writes; a wonderful sense of humor goes a long way towards endearing Daria to the audience; the actress must have wonderful comic timing and be a skilled physical comedian.

Speaks with an English accent. A bit of an enigma, seeming sharp and pointed at times and then lost and unfocused at others; isn’t successful in putting together facts to solve investigations but somehow their cases get solved nonetheless; Harriet is a wannabe actress and will burst out into soliloquy.