Get to know some of the members of the cast in A Sherlock Carol and learn about their experiences performing at Westport Country Playhouse.

This is your second year at the Playhouse performing A Sherlock Carol! What is it about the Playhouse that makes you want to return?

Joe Delafield: There are so many things about the Playhouse that make it one of the best places for an actor to work: its history, the warmth and beauty of the space, the high quality of the work, and on and on.  But what really makes me want to return is the generosity, collaborative spirit, professionalism, dedication, and good cheer of the people who work here.

Isabel Keating: I love everything about the Westport Country Playhouse: the history, of course, but really, for me, the dynamic humans in every department that are integral to the process of making plays and welcoming our audiences are the primary perk to being here, along with the community of audiences who are eager to come see stories onstage. It’s a special place, and it’s a thrill for me each time I enter the backstage wings to tread the original floorboards that are at the threshold to the stage, the same boards that were trod by our fellow actors, many legends for over half a century! There’s a palpable presence of the spirits and history, so appropriate to our play, and it gives fresh and literal meaning to the adage “treading the boards”!

Sharone Sayegh: The people. Mark Shanahan really fosters a sense of community and brings people together who are not only fabulous actors but also wonderful people. I really get the sense that everyone who works at the playhouse truly believes in the theater’s mission and works together to create beautiful art.

Byron St. Cyr: First, there’s the rich history of this theatre. It feels really special to be a part of it. It’s also a community and company like no other. It’s always a joy to be in the room with the Westport family. 

What would our audience be surprised to learn about you?

Joe Delafield: I have two college-aged daughters!

Isabel Keating: Some might be aware that Flannery O’Connor is my dad’s first cousin, making her my first cousin once-removed, but I don’t think anyone knows that I achieved a brown belt in judo (I have not maintained that status.:))

Sharone Sayegh: In addition to acting I have started writing as well! I am the co-book writer of the new musical The Game Boy with Danny J Rooney, and I am also writing my own solo show called The Goldsmith. Check out my Instagram @sharonesayegh for updates on both pieces!

Byron St. Cyr: I do a great Carol Channing impersonation. No one ever expects that. 

What is your favorite moment in the show?

Joe Delafield: There are many!  The show has so many lively characters and funny bits, but one of my favorite moments is a quiet one: when Sherlock has a moment alone with the audience, a gentle sound of distant carolers singing gently rises, and snow begins to fall.  It’s a beautiful and theatrical moment and one that I think contains so much of what makes A Sherlock Carol special.

Isabel Keating: There are so many favorite moments, two in particular, but I’m not risking any spoilers; you’ll have to come to see us choose your own favorite moments. 🙂

Sharone Sayegh: I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s really fun to hear the audience’s reaction when they realize who the young boy from A Christmas Carol grows up to be.

Byron St. Cyr: The turkey boy moment always brings me immense joy. 

Why should people come to see A Sherlock Carol? What makes this production special?

Joe Delafield: The show uses stories and characters that we all know so well but gives them new and unexpected life – it is familiar and surprising all at once.  Just like the holidays should be.

Isabel Keating: It’s the most extraordinary and unique play, a Christmas mystery that’s a laugh-fest with great heart and spirits!, told by a brilliant cast: come see for yourselves why it’s a New York Times Critics’ Pick!

Sharone Sayegh: It’s a very clever combination of A Sherlock Holmes story and A Christmas Carol, so it cleverly plays on both stories that most people know and love, but in fun and unexpected ways. The cast is also fantastic, and each actor plays multiple roles with different accents, costumes, and genders; you never know who might enter next!

Byron St. Cyr: This play is not only a joy to experience but is incredibly layered so there’s something for everyone to enjoy and take away from it. Every year that we come back to this play, I find that there’s a new lesson to learn from it. That’s what makes this production so special. This company has been able to find so much in our years working together, and it’s a rare chance for an audience to experience that.

Without giving anything away, what’s your favorite line of dialogue?

Joe Delafield: I love how Mark Shanahan uses the language of Conan Doyle and Dickens as an inspiration – the language of those iconic writers is so fun to play with.  One of my characters gets to sling incredible insults: “flapdoodler”, “sneaky old hedge-creeper’, “malmsy-nosed blunderbuss”, “pigeon-livered bungler” – the kind of turns of phrase that an actor can really sink their teeth into.

Sharone Sayegh: “Pigeon livered, am I! Pssshh”!

Byron St. Cyr: “I wish for you a changed nature, an altered spirit, and a sense of hope”.

What’s the most challenging part of playing multiple characters in this production?

Joe Delafield: Keeping multiple characters distinct and clear is always a challenge.  Creating distinct vocal patterns and physicalities that can be sustained over the run of the play without taxing the voice or body can be hard.  Luckily, in this show, we have incredible costumes and various dialects that help do a lot of the heavy lifting!

Isabel Keating: Brilliant Mark Shanahan, writer of A Sherlock Carol, and an actor himself, knows what fun it is to switch quickly between roles, he has written a play that actors can relish, and I do! I play six different characters throughout the course of the play, and the most challenging aspect is the backstage costume changes, which must happen very fast. Fortunately, Linda Cho’s costumes are a dream to wear, and our genius wardrobe department makes the transitions happen so smoothly no one would ever know the alacrity with which they’re happening; it’s astounding and a great feat of theatrical aplomb.

Sharone Sayegh: Making sure your first entrance as each new character is strong and specific, so that the audience knows who this character is immediately.

How do you most like your character(s)? Most different?

CLICK HERE or on the graphics above to read the full bio of the Cast.