Mystery Play Holmes and Watson Coming to Avon Players
Solve the Case of Holmes and Watson at Avon Players
A new kind of game is afoot when literature’s most famous detective is himself the subject of investigation
ROCHESTER HILLS, MI, February 20, 2026 – Mystery lovers will have an intriguing puzzle to ponder as Avon Players presents Holmes and Watson by Jeffrey Hatcher, running March 6-21.
Sherlock Holmes is dead…or so it is assumed. The world knows the great detective went over the falls at Reichenbach with his nemesis Professor Moriarty. But as Holmes’ body was never retrieved, a number of frauds, fakes, and charlatans have come forward to lay claim to his identity, and it is Dr. Watson’s (Mark Colley) ongoing burden to disprove them. When a telegram from a man named Dr. Evans (Peter Giessl) arrives informing Watson that not one but three men (Will Johnson, Joseph G. Tobin, and Aaron Barnes), each claiming to be Holmes, have been committed to a remote asylum off the coast of Scotland, Watson must journey there and interrogate the inmates to discover if one of the mad men is indeed the master detective.
Jeffrey Hatcher is a prolific playwright and screenwriter whose work has been performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway and regionally across the US and abroad. In 2023, the magazine American Theatre noted that Hatcher was tied for the fifth most-produced playwright in America with his 2022 Adaptation of Dial M for Murder being one of the top produced plays that year. He wrote the original stage play Compleat Female Stage Beauty, which he later adapted for the screenplay for the feature film Stage Beauty. Hatcher co-wrote the stage adaptation of Tuesdays with Morrie with author Mitch Albom.
Director Lori Smith was drawn to the script because it turns familiar characters and situations on their heads. “In this show, we have Sherlock Holmes, who normally solves the mysteries, as the subject of the mystery. He's the one who's trying to prove who he is, and the audience gets to imagine themselves as detectives alongside Dr. Watson,” Smith said. Smith believes that the production fits neatly into a cultural fixation with mysteries and true crime: “As a mystery lover myself, I know that anyone who is a fan of true crime or one of those murder podcasts will really be able to exercise that part of their brain and look for clues and consider the evidence to come up with their own theories before the exciting reveal.”
Holmes and Watson is rated PG for adult themes. Holmes and Watson is presented through special arrangements with Dramatists Play Service. All authorized materials are provided by DPS.
Tickets for all shows are $28. Call 248.608.9077 for tickets or order online at www.avonplayers.org. Discounts on group rates are available by calling the box office. “Like” Avon Players Theatre on Facebook for special offers on tickets. All major credit cards are accepted. All seats are reserved. Show dates and times follow:
Saturday, March 7 8:00 PM
Sunday, March 8 2:00 PM
Friday, March 13 8:00 PM
Saturday, March 14 8:00 PM
Sunday, March 15 2:00 PM
Friday, March 20 8:00 PM
Saturday, March 21 8:00 PM
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Avon Players is celebrating its 79th season of bringing quality entertainment to its community. Founded in 1947, Avon Players is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit community theatre located along the winding banks of Stoney Creek in the quaint Historic District of Rochester Hills, only about two miles from the heart of downtown Rochester. Avon Players has been performing shows in its unique A-frame theater since 1965. With ticket prices set at a fraction of those at professional theaters (plus free parking), a family of four can experience a sensational live theatrical event for about the cost of one ticket at a "downtown" venue. And for regular theatre-goers, an affordable outing can be an even better bargain by taking advantage of Avon Players’ season ticket packages, which yield discounts of up to 15% per ticket. Additionally, season ticket holders enjoy priority seating selection and voting privileges in Avon’s annual “Stoney Awards.” Additional information regarding tickets and productions is available by calling the Avon Players box office at 248.608.9077 or by visiting the website: www.avonplayers.org.
Cast and Production Staff by Community:
Patty Hagel (Properties Design)
Lake Orion
Peter Giessl (“Dr. Evans”)
Oakland Township
Lisa Miller (Hair Design)
Rochester
Aaron Barnes (“Holmes #3”)
Katelyn Brackney (“Matron”)
Maia Fetter (Makeup Design)
Will Johnson (“Holmes #1”)
Rochester Hills
John (JD) Deierlein (Costume and Lighting Design)
Joseph G. Tobin (“Holmes #2”)
Mike Zois (“Orderly”)
Shelby Township
Mark Palmer (Producer, Sound Design)
Troy
Mark Colley (“Dr. John Watson”)
Washington
Matt Cason (Associate Director)
Lori Smith (Director)
From left to right: The three “Sherlock Holmeses": Aaron Barnes, Joseph G. Tobin, Will Johnson, and Mark Colley as “Watson.” Photo Credit: Bryan Clifford
Avon Players
Michelle Box Office Manager
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 6 8:00 PM