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Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B

January 14 – February 12, 2023
On the U.S. Bank Main Stage

Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B

  • Written by Kate Hamill
  • Adapted from the Stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  • Directed by Marissa Wolf

JUMP TO: Dates, Run Time, Playbill, & More

“Hamill’s adaptations of the classics are endlessly ingenious … whatever she decides to do, it will be worth seeing.” –The Wall Street Journal’s Playwright of the Year

Fast-paced and wildly entertaining, this brilliantly theatrical take on the iconic crime-fighting duo is a must-see. It’s present-day Baker Street and female roommates Holmes and Watson are careening from caper to caper. Eventually, they come face-to-face with a supervillain who seems to have all of the answers. Get ready for a rollicking murder mystery that packs in non-stop laughs and hijinks galore!

Developed at PCS’s JAW New Play Festival, 2021.

“Bloody good … by lights down, the heart has beat wildly with hope of romance, the gut has jiggled from guffaw and giggles, and the mind has flexed with solving puzzles and decoding riddles.” –Black Bee Buzz

More About This Production

Preview image for *Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B* Plot Summary

Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B Plot Summary

Spoiler alert! A brief overview of Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B.

Preview image for List of Sherlock Holmes Stories Referenced in *Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B*

List of Sherlock Holmes Stories Referenced in Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B

This is a list of some of the Sherlock Holmes stories referenced in the show, but there are plenty more to watch out for. See if you can find the connections and other books mentioned in this play!

Preview image for 136 Years of Holmes & Watson

136 Years of Holmes & Watson

With his groundbreaking fictional crime-fighting duo, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created what many consider to be the first modern “fandom.” Holmes and Watson are the most adapted characters in British literature — with thousands of pastiches across all manner of media.

Preview image for *Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B* Reading List

Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B Reading List

Calling all readers! Multnomah County Library put together a reading list inspired by our production of Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B.

Meet the Cast & Creative Team

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Members of the cast and creative team of "Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B" at Portland Center Stage; photo by Alec Lugo.

Ashley Song*

Sherlock Holmes

Kimberly Chatterjee*

Dr. Joan Watson

Dana Green*

Irene Adler, Mrs. Hudson, Mrs. Drebber

Darius Pierce*

Lestrade, Elliot Monk, Others

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Kate Hamill

Playwright

Marissa Wolf

Director

Carey Wong

Scenic Designer

Sydney Dufka

Costume Designer

Sarah Hughey

Lighting Designer

Madeleine Oldham

Sound Designer

Jessica Miller

Wig Artisan

Kamilah Bush

Dramaturg

Kristen Mun-Van Noy*

Stage Manager & Fight Coordinator

Amanda Vander Hyde*

Assistant Stage Manager & Intimacy Coordinator

Val Landrum

Dialect Coach

Chip Miller & RaChelle Schmidt

Casting

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Molly Shevaune Reed, Assistant Director

Charlotte Emrys, Assistant Scenic Designer

Burton Yuen, Drafting Assistant 
 
Madeline Tran, Assistant Fight Coordinator
 
Michael Wax, Deck Manager
 
Charlie Capps (He/Him), Michael Wax (He/Him), Carpenters

Claudia LaRue, First Hand
 
Foggy Bell, Niko Suits, Stitchers

Will Bailey, Dresser

Jenna Cady, Dresser Swing

Miranda Nolten, Assistant Wig Artisan

Vanessa Elsner, Heather Taylor, Costume Maintenance

Roy Joshua Antonio, Bennet Berkower, Mike Cino, Sophina Flores, Jesse Harkin, Zachary Horn, Allison Knight-Blaine, Steph Landtiser, Dug Martell, Oliver Pemberton, Esther McFaden, Paul Rhoads, Myke Rodriguez, Electricians

Kimberly Chatterjee, Dr. Joan Watson
(She/Her)

Kimberly is thrilled to be performing in this delightful play for her Portland Center Stage premiere. Off-Broadway: Life Sucks (Wheelhouse Theater Company); Kate Hamill's Pride and Prejudice (Primary Stages); Dance Nation (Playwrights Horizons); The Tempest (The Classical Theatre of Harlem). Select regional: Kate Hamill's Emma (PlayMakers Repertory Company); Romeo and Juliet, Mr. Burns — a post-electric play, Kate Hamill's Pride & Prejudice, As You Like It, Macbeth, Measure for Measure, The General from America, So Please You (Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival); Dance Nation (The Wilma); Noises Off (Guthrie Theater); As You Like It (Folger Theatre). TV: High Maintenance. Training: NYU New Studio on Broadway, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. kimberlychatterjee.com IG: @kimberlychatter

Dana Green, Irene Adler, Mrs. Hudson, Mrs. Drebber
(She/Her)

Dana is delighted to be back at Portland Center Stage where she has performed in Macbeth, A Life, Major Barbara, Constellations, Tiny Beautiful Things, Great Expectations, Othello, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She spent four seasons with the Stratford Festival and has performed at numerous regional theaters including the DCPA, The Old Globe, South Coast Repertory, Yale Repertory Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, California Shakespeare Theater, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Court Theatre, Meadow Brook Theatre, and Shakespeare Dallas. Locally, she has also performed at Portland Playhouse, Profile Theatre, CoHo Productions, and Third Rail Repertory Theatre. TV/Film: Early Edition, Grimm, The Librarians, Shrill, Trinkets, The Girl in the Woods, and the recent Paramount+ film Significant Others.

Darius Pierce, Lestrade, Elliot Monk, Others
(He/Him)

Darius is a theater artist based in Portland. Some previous shows at Portland Center Stage include The Great Leap, Stupid F***ing Bird, Bedlam’s Sense and Sensibility, The Santaland Diaries, Beard of Avon, Twelfth Night, The 39 Steps, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. He has also worked with companies including Third Rail Repertory Theatre, Artists Repertory Theatre, Folger Theater, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Portland Playhouse, Syracuse Stage, Theatre Vertigo, and many others. Occasionally, you can also find Darius on screen. He is a company member at Third Rail Repertory Theatre, a co-founder of the Anonymous Theatre Company, and an avid collector of turtles. Thank you to my whole family for endlessly supporting this absurd career! (Hi Elizabeth! Hi Julian!)

Ashley Song, Sherlock Holmes
(She/Her)

Ashley is an actor/producer and co-owner of Desert Island Studios, an independent film studio dedicated to creating more accessibility and affordability to film resources for independent storytellers. She’s also a screenwriter and board member of the Oregon Media Production Association, winning the Service & Inspiration Award for her advocacy efforts within the creative industry. She’s produced three feature films and a number of narrative shorts that have screened at festivals like Filmfort, Portland International Film Festival, and CINE / SEEN, among others. Ashley received her B.F.A from New York University with training in The Method at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute and acting from Stonestreet Studios. Ashley is a proud member of AEA and The Producers Guild of America. IG:@ashleysongofficial @desertislandstudiospdx

Kristen Mun-Van Noy, Stage Manager & Fight Coordinator
(She/Her)

Kristen was born and raised on the island of Oahu and has worked as a stage manager in the Portland theater community for the past 11 years. She graduated with a B.F.A. from Southern Oregon University and is proud to return to Portland Center Stage for her 10th season. When she is not stage managing, she works as a fight choreographer and teacher. She has been recognized for her fight choreography four times by the Portland Drammys and is a proud AEA stage manager.

Kate Hamill, Playwright
(She/Her)

Kate is a playwright and actor based in NYC. For the last three seasons, she has been included on the most-produced playwright list in American Theatre magazine. Her most recent work includes the virtual production of Badass Galboss Power Hour for Primary Stages; Dracula at Classic Stage Company; the New York premiere of Little Women by Primary Stages (commissioned and received its world premiere at Jungle Theater in Minneapolis); and Mansfield Park, which was commissioned by and debuted at Northlight Theatre. This past season, she debuted Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B at KCRep and Emma at Guthrie Theater. She is currently working on an adaptation of The Odyssey which will be produced by Artists Repertory Theatre, as well as several new original plays, including The Piper (2019 O’Neill NPC finalist; PlayPenn selection) and The Prostitute Play (developed at Cygnet Theatre). katehamill.com 

Marissa Wolf, Director
(She/Her)

Marissa is in her fifth year as artistic director of Portland Center Stage. Select directing credits include tick, tick … Boom! by Jonathan Larson, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Simon Stephens (Portland Center Stage); Fire in Dreamland by Rinne Groff (The Public Theater; world premiere at KCRep); Man in Love by Christina Anderson (KCRep); 77% by Rinne Groff (San Francisco Playhouse); Precious Little by Madeleine George (Shotgun Players); The Lily’s Revenge (Act II) by Taylor Mac (Magic Theatre); and The Late Wedding by Christopher Chen (Crowded Fire Theater). Marissa was nominated for Best Director by BroadwayWorld San Francisco and the Bay Area Critics Circle, and she held the Bret C. Harte Directing Fellowship at Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

Carey Wong, Scenic Designer
(He/Him)

Theater credits include Seattle Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Center Stage Baltimore, Syracuse Stage, Alliance Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Village Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre, Prince Music Theater, Hey City Theater, and Nearco Producciones. He has been a resident designer for Portland Opera, Opera Memphis, and Wildwood Park. Opera credits include Seattle Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, New York’s Valhalla Wagnerfest, Pittsburgh Opera, and the Beijing and Macao Music Festivals. Carey was the exhibition designer for Beyond the Gate at the Portland Chinatown Museum, where a retrospective of his design work appeared last year. He designed The Miser during Portland Center Stage’s (then called Oregon Shakespeare Festival Portland) inaugural season.

Sydney Dufka, Costume Designer
(She/Her)

Sydney is a visual storyteller and costume designer. She is interested in exploring the motivation of characters through the details in the clothing. Her work is rooted in research, and finding silhouettes and shapes through sketching. Sydney believes art is a universal form of communication that is vital to humanity. Sydney is also an accomplished craftsman and spends much of her spare time behind the sewing machine building her fashion designs. In addition to design work, Sydney is an associate designer with LDC Design Associates in NYC. Sydney holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Theatre School at DePaul University.

Sarah Hughey, Lighting Designer
(She/Her)

Sarah is delighted to return to Portland Center Stage. Previous PCS credits include Crossing Mnisose, Bedlam’s Sense and Sensibility, Major Barbara, and A Christmas Memory/Winter Song. Sarah has designed lighting for productions at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Guthrie Theater, Asolo Repertory Theatre, KCRep, City Theatre Company, Writers Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Victory Gardens Theater, and many small rooms across Chicago. She has taught lighting design at Northwestern University, Columbia College Chicago, and Willamette University. She holds an M.F.A from Northwestern. Sarah lives in Portland.

Madeleine Oldham, Sound Designer
(She/Her)

Madeleine is a sound designer based in Oakland, CA, who is delighted to be making her Portland Center Stage debut. She has created work with companies around the country, including American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Cal Shakes, Lightning Rod Special in Philadelphia, Marin Theatre Company, KCRep, Crowded Fire Theater, and more. You can hear her on KALX radio as DJ Madame X. Madeleine believes that stories hold power for both good and evil, and it’s up to us to keep this knowledge close and use it well. She also understands that the best sport is ice hockey, and wiener dogs are the embodiment of joy.

Jessica Miller, Wig Artisan
(She/Her)

Jessica is delighted to add Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B to the shows she has styled wigs for Portland Center Stage. Other wig designs of note include Rent, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Fun Home, The Color Purple, Major Barbara, and Lady Day. She has her B.A. in costume design from the University of Oregon, where she discovered her love for the art of wig making and design. She is also lucky enough to use her hair skills to work in the local TV and film industry.

Kamilah Bush, Dramaturg
(She/Her)

Kamilah is a playwright, dramaturg, and educator originally from North Carolina. She holds a B.F.A. in theater education from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and was an NC teaching fellow. Kamilah has spent several seasons at celebrated regional theaters across the country, including Triad Stage in Greensboro, NC, Asolo Repertory Theater in Sarasota, FL, and Two River Theater in Red Bank, NJ. Her play Nick & The Prizefighter was a semifinalist for the 2022 L. Arnold Weissberger Award, the 2021 Bay Area Playwright’s Festival, and it won the 2021 Urbanite Theater Modern Works Festival.

Amanda Vander Hyde, Assistant Stage Manager & Intimacy Coordinator

A graduate of Western Oregon University with a B.F.A in technical production, Amanda Anderson (Vander Hyde) is a freelance stage manager in the Portland theater scene. She works as a production and stage manager for the likes of Oregon Children's Theatre, CoHo Productions, and Artists Repertory Theatre. This is her second season on the stage management team at Portland Center Stage, having previously been involved with The Great Leap and Rent in the 2021–2022 season. Along with stage managing, she is an intimacy coordinator in the Portland area, having worked on various pieces, including Heathers: The Musical at Linfield University and several productions at PCS. She wants to thank her partner for putting up with her late hours and constant busyness.

Val Landrum, Dialect Coach
(She/They)

Val is a dialect and voice coach committed to the theory of Ensemble and inspired by the diverse community that live Theatre brings. She has 20 years of experience as a dialect coach, which includes regional and local credits. Some of her recent local credits include The Children (Artists Repertory Theatre), Me Jane, DNA (both @ Oregon Children’s Theatre), and Never in My Lifetime (Portland Actor’s Conservatory). Val is a resident artist company member at Artists Repertory Theatre where her most recent credits as an actor include being part of the first installment of the Mercury Company, Between Riverside and Crazy, and The Humans. Her play Trubador, was workshopped with ART during their second installment of the Mercury Company. She is a proud Actors Equity and SAG/AFTRA Member. She also serves on the board of Oregon Children's Theatre.

What People Are Saying

Local Reviews

"Thought-provoking and progressive, wildly entertaining, whip-smart, and it leaves you with more things to discuss than you can fit into the ride home." –PDXParent

"The play works a formula that playwright Kate Hamill knows well, having made a name for herself devising witty, fresh takes on beloved British and American classics such as Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, and William Makepeace Thackeray ... Her work reflects an interest in creating varied theatrical roles for femme characters beyond what the “classics” have afforded us, and injecting a modern sensibility that helps us notice points of view that haven’t been given space to breathe." –Oregon ArtsWatch

"[Kate] Hamill joyfully desecrates the stuffy Sherlock Holmes tradition and turns Sir Conan Doyle’s mysteries into an uproarious gal pal romp. Marissa Wolf directs the play, adeptly squeezing comic nuance out of every opportunity the play affords. For anyone in need of a bleak midwinter guffaw, this is a must-see show!" –Judy Nedry

"Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson - Apt. 2B simultaneously plays homage to and flips on its head the detective story tropes to show what happens when women are in charge." –BroadwayWorld

"If you're in the mood for a healthy dose of comedy with your Arthur Conan Doyle, this is for you." –The Crippled Critic

Audience Raves

"I loved the energy, the twists, the juxtaposition of personalities... So fun!"

"Mystery and intrigue as well as humor were well played! … hilarious, satisfying, memorable ..."

"Cleverly written production that breathes new life into a well-established genre. Quite delightful."

"Absolutely loved it! The staging, the acting, the writing! The cast, some of whom we’ve seen before, were fantastic, and of course, we’ll see anything that Darius Pierce is in. He is a local treasure!"

"As a fan of Sherlock, it was fun to see an energetic, modern adaptation."

"I loved the irreverent humor, Watson’s deadpan snark, and Holmes’ manic gender-flipped iconoclast genius."

"Fast-paced, entertaining, well written ... I think you have a hit!"

"We loved this show. It was fun, charming, engaging."

In the News

"[Kate] Hamill pays homage to Doyle's mysteries ... and she does so with incredible care and wit. At the center of the play is a celebration of Holmes and Watson's friendship—one that teaches us that empathy is not a weakness. [Ms. Holmes & Ms. WatsonApt. 2B is sharp, playful, and moves at a rapid-fire pace with hilarious stage-combat fight scenes and slapstick physical comedy." View the Feature

"All stories, even well-established ones like Sherlock Holmes, should have a place for creative and imaginative people, regardless of their gender identity, race, or ethnicity. It's been very gratifying to participate in such a unique and fun opportunity" –Ashley Song in an interview with Portland Tribune. View the Feature

"[Kate Hamill] has a deft, playful sense of humor that's balanced by a passion for her source material, evening out in a sort of unfussy reverence that plays well to her stories' longtime fans and newbies alike." View the Feature

"This show consistently subverts expectations and pokes fun at those who see it as untrue to theater and what it is supposedly meant to be. Shows such as Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson are critical to the survival of the theater world and the vital sense of community that comes from interacting with human emotion in this way." View the Feature

"Both farcical and feminist, a female buddy comedy that also features some of the most iconic characters from the series." –Oregon ArtsWatch

National Reviews

“By lights down, the heart has beat wildly with hope of romance, the gut has jiggled from guffaw and giggles, and the mind has flexed with solving puzzles and decoding riddles.” –Black Bee Buzz

“Hamill has cranked out winner after winner … She has proven herself a master of this craft." –TheaterPizazz

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