Gratuitous plug

The question in the Wilson household this week is not if we should go to see Medford Area Community Theatre’s production of “Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery,” but rather how many times we should go see it.

The production runs July 13, 14 and 15 with shows beginning at 7 p.m. each day.

For those unfamiliar with it, the playwright took Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic The Hound of the Baskervilles and transformed it into a “murderously funny” adventure. There are cast members wearing — quite literally — multiple hats in the production as different characters. With the familiar names and faces of cast members from the Medford Area Community Theater group along with some newbies, it is a sure bet there will be plenty of laughs to be had.

Brad Paff is playing Sherlock Holmes with the always-funny Joe Scott playing Watson. The self-described cavalcade of characters includes Sandy Bradley, Lauren Gierl, Buzz Mahner, Veronica Mahner, Jessica Nernberger, Andrew Paff, Amy Paff, Lucas Peterson, Sean Porten and Nathanial Rinehart.

Sandy Newman is the stage manager with Stacy Beyer, Alexandra Paff, Heidi Roesler and Jayden Thums on crew. I also can’t forget Lisa Porten who is directing the show and who has the most infectious laughs on the planet.

Medford Area Community Theater productions are a highlight of my summer and I enjoy seeing local talents take to the stage. For some, it is a way to satisfy that itch to perform. For others, it is something to cross off their bucket list of things to try. I admire them all, there are few things more terrifying than getting up in front of a crowd of people who you have known for most of your life and performing.

Some people may say the same about writing a column for the newspaper, but in my case if one of my attempts at humor falls flat, I am usually not around to hear the sound of the crickets chirping.

My son, Alex, decided to get involved in community theater this summer to get involved in doing something outside of work, counting down the days to the start of the curling season and occasionally being drafted to help his dad out taking pictures when I have to be in three places at the same time.

Rather than being on stage, he is busy in the booth working on the lighting design and running the light board — something I have learned is a lot more complicated than knowing when to press a button or flip a switch.

Alex has been at every night of rehearsals since May coming home with a notebook filled with ever-changing lighting cues and other notes on the production. He has also met separately with Mason Bunkelman who is the audio-visual guru for the school district and Kenzie Flynn to go over the lighting ideas and has even borrowed a few of Mason’s massive college textbooks to study up on the topic to make sure the lighting helps tell the story of the play.

If you aren’t doing anything this weekend, make a point to come down and take in the show and show your support for our local community actors and crew members who put themselves out there year after year.

Brian Wilson is News Editor at The Star News.