Director Matt Graber's concept for Dietz's interpretation of the final two Sherlock Holmes was based on the idea that Sherlock Holmes is the Victorian Batman: a normal man (no superpowers), but living larger-than-life adventures and solving cases in the same devil-may-care, justice-in-his-own-hands way as the famous Bruce Wayne.

The script itself uses 17 different specific locations, ranging from Sherlock's study, to the palace in Bohemia, to a train, to Irene Adler's home and a Gas Works Company, all of which are topped by the scene at the famous Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. To accommodate this diversity while remaining as accurate to the architecture and styles of the Victorian Era, I devised a series of doors in the facings of the platforms that could reveal parts of the set along with platforms that could glide on and off stage with a variety of furniture for the different settings, adding texture and depth to the picture. These doors, along with the giant window in the back that used a three part reveal (curtained, bare frame with a flywheel and then the hanging scrim curtain in the back) to change location, allowed the set to remain a flexible but permanent structure.

The addition of the Comic Book concept changed the paint detail I inteneded to use. Instead of realistic shadows in darker brown tones for the faux wood paneling, I used black, in angled lines like inked drawings.

July 2010

Director: Matthew Graber
Lighting Designer: Don Ishler
Scenic Designer: Sarah White
Costume Designer: Justin Feichter
Props Designer: Kayla Straub
Technical Director: Craig Yeager