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Murder under the mistletoe: Christmas-themed Sherlock Holmes parody ‘The Game’s Afoot’ at Vortex
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A farcical, family-friendly murder mystery for the holidays, “The Game’s Afoot” by Ken Ludwig won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Play in 2012. New Mexico audiences can see it live at Vortex Theatre starting Friday, Dec. 5.
“It hasn’t been done in Albuquerque in about 10 years,” Yannig Morin, director, said. “When I read the script, I just found it hilarious, and given the opportunity to direct it, I jumped on it.”
“The Game’s Afoot” is the first play Morin has directed since “Drinking Habits,” another comedy, at The Adobe Theater in 2023. He has been focusing on acting since then.
“I’m looking to transition more into directing,” he said. “It’s more exciting for me. I get to be more creative.”
Morin has always been drawn to comedies, which he finds more challenging to direct than dramas, but also more fun.
“Growing up watching comedies as a kid in the ’80s, I loved satirical parody movies. Those were my favorite. We’re talking ‘Airplane’ and ‘The Naked Gun,’” Morin said. “So, I try to incorporate as much of that silly tone as I possibly can whenever I direct.”
“The Game’s Afoot” takes place on Christmas Day, 1936, in the Connecticut mansion of a real Broadway actor, William Gillette, who was known for playing Sherlock Holmes. Morin describes the play as a parody of the murder mystery genre, and one that humorously collapses reality and fiction.
“We tap into … the ridiculousness of breaking the fourth wall, or having something that’s not of the 1930s (appear onstage) — being playful in that regard, throwing reality out the door,” Morin said. “It’s kind of ‘anything goes.’”
While Morin found Ludwig’s script very funny on its own, he found ways to “spice it up” even more.
“I’m peppering in a few silly sound effects to help the comedy along,” he said. “I’ve always noticed the audience adores stuff like that.”
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The main character, Gillette, is played by Drew Groves.
“I don’t think I could have found a better actor to portray this character,” Morin said. “He’s fantastic.”
His mother, Martha Gillette, is played by Gloria Goodman, who also designed the Art Deco set.
“The script describes her as ‘dithering,’ so a kind of confused, playful, lovable woman,” Morin said, “and she’s got a crazy pet dog named Portia.”
The jury’s still out on whether Gloria’s actual pet dog will star alongside her in the production, or whether they will need to substitute a stuffed animal.
“It’s very well-behaved and very lucid, and we think it will behave,” he said, “but I can’t make any promises.”
William Gillette’s best friend, Felix, is played by Dachary Vann.
“They know there’s a murder, obviously, and he and Gillette are trying to figure out how to handle the situation,” Morin said. “Their interactions between each other are just golden.”
Veronica Apodaca and Jonathan Tyrrell play a young couple, Aggie and Simon.
“I wanted to give some young actors an opportunity to stretch their legs and learn, and they’re doing a wonderful job,” Morin said.
Morin’s favorite character in the play is Daria Chase, who is portrayed in this production by Kenzie Ross.
“Daria is probably the main reason why I chose this play, because I just love that character so much,” he said. “She’s egotistical, mean-spirited and she’s got biting humor. A remarkable character, and Kenzie is doing a fabulous job.”
What murder mystery is complete without an inspector? In this case, the “stereotypically bumbling inspector” is played by Echo Dobie.
“I saw her do a murder mystery called ‘The Hollow,’ where she played the inspector’s assistant,” Morin said, “and I thought she was ready to be promoted to the role of inspector.”
Morin said he gave his actors free rein to play and experiment during the rehearsal process.
“I strongly feel that when you do comedy, comedy is chaos,” he said. “If you try to control it too much, it ceases to be as funny.”
