November 26 – December 27, 2025 | Jewell Mainstage Theatre
Playing in the Isaac Studio Theatre
Taproot Theatre
In This Program
- About The Play
- Director’s Note
- Company
- Taste of Show
- Lobby Gallery
- Scary Ghost Stories and Tales of the Glories
- Join us for Taproot’s 50th Anniversary Season!
- Print Edition
- More About Taproot Theatre
About The Play
Playing in the Jewell Mainstage Theatre
A Sherlock Carol
By Mark Shanahan
Originally produced by Raymond Bokhour and Drew McVety
Sound Design and Original Music by John Gromada
Cast
(In order of appearance)
Actor One
William Eames
Actor Two
Arika Matoba*
Actor Three
Tyler Campbell
Actor Four
Helen Harvester
Sherlock Holmes
Aaron Lamb*
Ebenezer Scrooge
Andrew Litzky
Understudies
Ebenezer Scrooge & Actor Three
Jonathan Swindle
Sherlock Holmes & Actor One
Jeff Allen Pierce
Actor Two
Ays Garcia
Actor Four
Llysa Holland
Production
Director
Bretteney Beverly
Music Director
Jon Lutyens*
Assistant Director
Tim Gouran
Scenic & Sound Design
Mark Lund
Costume Design
Erica Manzano
Lighting Design
Amanda Sweger
Prop Master
Robin Macartney
Stage Manager
Brigid Ridge*
Dialect Coach
Leah Fishbaugh
Dramaturg
Leila Cheung
Setting
London, 1894.
A Sherlock Carol is approximately two hours with one 15-minute intermission.
*Appearing through an agreement between this theatre, Taproot Theatre Company, and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
"A Sherlock Carol" is presented by special arrangment with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service imprint. www.dramatists.com
Director’s Note
In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, The Ghost of Christmas Present greets Ebenezer Scrooge with a now famous line of invitation:
“’Come in!” exclaimed the Ghost. “Come in! And know me better, man!’”
— A Christmas Carol, Stave Three
Whether this is your first time at Taproot or you're here as part of a long-standing holiday tradition for you and your family, please consider these notes as my way of standing in the lobby and shouting the same invitation to each of you: “Come in! Come in, friends! And get to know us a little bit better.” Our production of Mark Shanahan’s A Sherlock Carol is a holiday party that we have been working on for months, and I am so excited that you are here!
This show is the final show of our 2025 Jewell Mainstage Season, closing out an extraordinary year at Taproot. After launching the season in our newly refurbished Jewell Mainstage Theatre, we broke Box Office records and extended every single show! This success story is truly something to celebrate, and we owe it all to the talented artistic teams who crafted these productions—and to you! To our incredible Taproot audiences who came to see these performances time and time again—thank you!
Welcome to a holiday celebration filled with love, gratitude, and all the delight of the season. We invite you to sit back, relax, and revel in some good old-fashioned Christmas cheer. Thank you again for making Taproot part of your family’s festivities.
Enjoy the show!
Bretteney Beverly
Associate Artistic Director
Company
Cast
Tyler Campbell
Actor Three
Tyler is thrilled to return to the Taproot stage! Recent Taproot credits include John Watson, M.D. (u/s) in Sherlock Holmes and the Precarious Position, “Knuckles” McCann in Jeeves Takes a Bow, and Sir John Pontefract in A Woman of No Importance. As a 2017 PCPA graduate, Tyler is excited to be working again with Brett and the entire Taproot family. He dedicates this performance and every performance to Alison, Margie, Pops, and Cher.
William Eames (he/him)
Actor One
William is thrilled to be returning to Taproot for his fourth Christmas in a row, most recently appearing as Richard “Bingo” Little in Happy Christmas, Jeeves. Other favorite Taproot credits include Henry Grey in Georgianna & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley and Gerald Arbuthnot in A Woman of No Importance. He’d like to thank the entire cast, crew, and Taproot staff for their hard work, and his family and friends for their support!
Helen Harvester
Actor Four
Helen was last seen at Taproot in The Realization of Emily Linder. She currently serves as Marketing and Communications Director for Harlequin Productions in Olympia, WA, where she has performed in 18 productions, most recently as Marie Antoinette in The Revolutionists. Her favorite roles include Diana in Diana of Dobson’s (Taproot Theatre), Romaine in Witness for the Prosecution (Centerstage Theatre), and Tracy Lord in The Philadelphia Story (Bainbridge Performing Arts, Harlequin Productions).
Aaron Lamb
Sherlock Holmes
Aaron was last seen at Taproot as Lord Illingworth in A Woman of No Importance. Other Taproot credits include Lord Goring in An Ideal Husband, Count Dracula in Dracula, and Mitch in Tuesdays with Morrie among many others. Aaron currently serves as the Producing Artistic Director at Harlequin Productions in Olympia, WA.
Andrew Litzky (he/him)
Ebenezer Scrooge
Andrew has appeared in ten Taproot productions, most recently in The Book of Will and My Lord, What a Night last season. He is a disabled person. As co-founder of theater simple, Andrew has performed at national and international festivals across three continents. He has acted regionally with the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, internationally in Canada, Singapore, Australia, and Turkmenistan, and locally with dozens of theatre companies. Andrew is grateful to his co-conspirator in life and art, Llysa.
Arika Matoba
Actor Two
Arika's past Taproot credits include Annelle in Steel Magnolias and Lucy in A Charlie Brown Christmas. When not on stage, she works in casting and production at Village Theatre and flies around Washington as a Delta Dental Tooth Fairy. Repped by The Actor's Group. Love to her family, friends, and Matthew. @arikamatoba
Understudies
Ays Garcia (she/her)
Actor Two u/s
Ays is so excited to be back at Taproot this holiday season. Favorite credits include Georgiana & Kitty (Taproot Theatre) and Cinderella (Village Theatre), as well as touring with the 5th Avenue Theatre Educational Touring Company. She is also currently studying psychology at the University of Washington and will be graduating in March. Ays would like to send gratitude and love to her friends and family for always supporting her. Representation matters, always. Maraming salamat and happy holidays! @ays.garcia
Llysa Holland
Actor Four u/s
Llysa is the co-artistic instigator of theater simple, often touring Elsewhere. Delightfully closer to home and cats, she is cheered to return to Taproot after appearing in The Book of Will, Enchanted April, Charley’s Aunt, and Diana of Dobson’s. This summer, Llysa will present WONDERLAND with theater simple (theatersimple.org). Love and big purrs to Andrew.
Jeff Allen Pierce
Sherlock Holmes/Actor One u/s
Jeff returns to Taproot after playing Actor One in Murder on the Links and J.R.R. Tolkien in Lewis & Tolkien earlier this year, and understudying roles in My Lord, What A Night and The Book of Will. Other favorite roles include Frank Butler in Annie Get Your Gun and Sam in Fully Committed. Jeff has performed with GreenStage, Theatre22, Idaho Repertory Theatre, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Production Team
Bretteney Beverly
Director
Bretteney serves as Taproot’s Associate Artistic Director. She recently directed The Importance of Being Earnest, A Raisin in the Sun, Sister Act, and My Lord, What a Night at Taproot. Favorite theatre credits include A Streetcar Named Desire, ‘Night Mother, Grease, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Crowns, An Octoroon, Pride & Prejudice, Flyin’ West, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Bus Stop, Macbeth, and A Woman of No Importance. Favorite directing credits include Everybody, Grease, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is Enuf, R & J, Little Shop of Horrors, The Fantasticks, Crimes of the Heart, and Always… Patsy Cline. Outside of theatre, she enjoys spending time with family, friends, and her adorable pit bull, Boss Lady. She would like to dedicate this show to her family. Happy holidays!
Leila Cheung
Dramaturg
Leila is a stage manager and dramaturg who loves musicals, mermaids, and baking. Previous Taproot credits include Murder on the Links and A Raisin in the Sun. Happy holidays and enjoy the show!
Leah Fishbaugh (they/them)
Dialect Coach
Leah is so grateful to be back at Taproot for their sixth show coaching dialects! You may have heard their work in Taproot’s Lewis and Tolkien, The Book of Will, and As It is in Heaven. Thank you to my teachers, without whom I wouldn’t have had the tools to pursue my very favorite subject! All my love to Brandon, the cats, and our bearded dragon.
Tim Gouran (he/him)
Assistant Director
Tim is overjoyed to be back at Taproot in a different capacity. At Taproot, he was recently seen in The Importance of Being Earnest. Tim is a Seattle-based actor and has performed with many regional theatres including Seattle Rep, Strawberry Theatre Workshop, Intiman Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, New City Theater, Washington Ensemble Theatre, Theatre22, and Azeotrope Theatre. He got his start with The Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis.
Karen Lund
Producing Artistic Director
Karen is Taproot’s Producing Artistic Director. Taproot was voted The Seattle Times Best in the PNW People’s Choice for Best Theater Company in 2024, and received the 2024 Gregory Award for Outstanding Performing Arts Organization of the Year. Recent directing work includes Taproot Theatre’s Murder on the Links, Always... Patsy Cline, and Lewis & Tolkien. Karen also recently directed Brigadoon at Village Theatre. She is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Union (SDC) and a professional voiceover artist. Karen would like to thank her amazing family, Mark, Jake, and Hannah.
Mark Lund
Scenic & Sound Design
Mark recently designed Murder on the Links, Always... Patsy Cline, The Book of Will, The Hello Girls, and Black Coffee at Taproot. Other design work includes Seattle Shakespeare Company, Book-It Repertory Theatre, and award-winning short films. He has voiced many regional and national projects for T-Mobile, The North Face, the NHL, FedEx, Amazon, Super Smash Bros., and as Falco Lombardi in Starfox. Love to Karen, Hannah, and Jake.
Jon Lutyens
Music Director
Jon was last seen on the Taproot stage as Reginald Jeeves for two performances of Happy Christmas, Jeeves, and as several characters in A Civil War Christmas, so it only makes sense to be back with another Christmas story. Jon has provided music direction for several theatres, including Harlequin Productions, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre, and local education programs among others. May the music of this holiday season life and warm us all!
Robin Macartney (she/her)
Prop Master
Robin is an award-winning set and prop designer who has been fortunate to work with a large number of theatre companies across the Puget Sound area. She currently works in the prop shop at Seattle Children’s Theatre.
Erica Manzano
Costume Design
Erica is excited to be working with Taproot for the second time! Erica is currently the Associate Costume Director at Seattle Rep and holds an MFA in theater design and technology from the University of Georgia. She has recently designed costumes for A Raisin in the Sun at Taproot Theatre and The Little Mermaid at Leavenworth Summer Theatre.
Brigid Ridge
Stage Manager
Brigid is excited to be back at Taproot for the holidays! Previous Taproot credits include Sherlock Holmes and the Precarious Position, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Jeeves Takes a Bow, and See How They Run. You may have seen her work at other local theatres like Seattle Shakespeare Company (now Union Arts Center), Village Theatre, ArtsWest, and Island Shakespeare Festival. She is a proud collaborator and co-creator of the new Potluck Theatre Company.
Amanda Sweger
Lighting Design
Amanda is a lighting and scenic designer whose freelance work has taken her to Philadelphia, Chicago, Nashville, and Seattle. She earned her MFA from Northwestern University in 2011 and is now a tenured professor of theatre at Pacific Lutheran University. Design credits include productions with The Second City, TimeLine Theatre, and Seattle Theatre Group. She continues to find deep fulfillment in her ongoing collaborations with Taproot.
Equity
ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION (“Equity”), founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers nationwide. Equity seeks to foster the art of live theater as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, working conditions, and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors’ Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. #EquityWorks
Production Crew
Crew
Assistant Stage Manager
Tiana Price
Stage Management/Crew Swing
Grace Heller
Casting
Casting Director
Bretteney Beverly
Casting Associate
Pilar O’Connell
Costume Staff
Dresser
Nicola Krause
Draper
Martha Mitchell
Stitchers
Scían Hayes, Veronica Dimoff
Wig Specialist
Jaclyn Deshaye
Wig Designer
Shelby Rogers
Scenic & Lighting Staff
Master Electrician
Aiyana Stephens
Scenic Carpenter
Garrett Dill
Scenic Charge Artist
Mark Lund
Scenic Artists
Garrett Dill, Jaiden Clark
Light Board Operator
Matthew Ray
Sound Board Operator
Alexander Hume
Electricians
Glen Fritz, Matthew Ray, Caden Seil
Scenic Strike
Janna Lemay†, David Natale†, Taylor Malec†
† All stage work performed by employees represented by I.A.T.S.E., Local No. 15.
Taste of Show
Stop by concessions before the show to pre-order your intermission refreshments.
Taproot’s concessions menu features Pacific Northwest wine and beer, non-alcoholic beverages, and a variety of snacks, including specialty items chosen specifically for this show.
Food and drink specials curated for A Sherlock Carol and A Charlie Brown Christmas:
Snacks
- Charlie's Chocolate Brown-ie. Gluten-free chocolate brownie (Lá Liath Bakery)
- Patty's Peppermint White Chocolate Chip Cookie (Lá Liath Bakery)
- Schroeder's Cheddar & Onion Scone (Seattle Scone Company)
Drinks
- The Countess. Vodka, orange liquer, pomegranate-cranberry juice, lime
- Holmes' Holiday Punch. Cranberry juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, soda water (Served alcoholic or non-alcoholic)
- Scrooge's Slow-Mulled Wine
- Red Ribbon Hot Buttered Rum
- Fizz-iwig's Christmas Morning Orange. Orange juice, cardamom bitters, ginger beer (Non-alcoholic)
- Snoopy's Snowglobe. Vanilla cream soda with edible glitter (Non-alcoholic)
Lobby Gallery
Conversations: Paintings by Brandy Agun
November 24–December 31, 2025
My objective ultimately is to create emotional paintings balancing the content with the design elements I find most pleasing in order to connect with the viewer and our common humanity. Painting for me is a conversation.
—Brandy Agun
Brandy Agun’s scenes of everyday life quietly allow us inside private moments, illuminating emotional, human ties between the people and objects depicted, and the places in which they exist. Originally trained in a highly representational painting style, Brandy has since found herself melding abstract forms of painting with realistic forms, creating a collage of what she really sees.
There is a place where representation and abstraction meet, and it is an exhilarating endeavor for me to push that boundary, allowing some of an image to be clearly understood and other parts more vague, dissolving into a cacophony of interesting shapes
and colors.
—Brandy Agun
The resulting paintings are like puzzle pieces for Brandy, focusing on color, shape, light, and design, which allows her the freedom to explore her surroundings as forms that work together. Pulling together visual clues—much like Sherlock Holmes pulling together many types of clues—Brandy presents us with very human scenes, filled with gentle emotions and tender reminiscences.
Brandy studied painting at the Georgetown Atelier and took courses and workshops at the Seattle Sculpture Atelier, Gage Academy of Art, and the Portland Art Museum. She teaches at the Kirkland Art Center and the Northwest Art Center, and is represented by Fountainhead Gallery in Seattle. Her work has been exhibited in numerous shows across the PNW.
All works are for sale unless marked by a red dot. Please visit Brandy’s website at brandyagun.com for more details about her work and to contact the artist for purchase enquiries.
—Gina Cavallo, Curator & Director of Development, Taproot Theatre
Scary Ghost Stories and Tales of the Glories
By Leila Cheung and Sonja Lowe
As a writer, Oscar Wilde uses teatime not for refreshment, but for revelation. In The Importance of Being Earnest, tea scenes are settings for power plays, pettiness, and hilarious passive-aggressive behavior. Wilde uses a custom recognized as “quintessentially British” to poke fun at the foibles of British society. But what is the history behind this hallmark British tradition?
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and A Sherlock Carol by Mark Shanahan are just two examples of the tradition of ghost stories at Christmas. Telling spooky tales in the wintertime has been a custom in many cultures for centuries and was especially popular in Victorian England.
British magazines and periodicals would publish collections of ghost stories at Christmastime. Popular authors including Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would write these short stories in addition to their other year-round works.
“Under none of the accredited ghostly circumstances, and environed by none of the conventional ghostly surroundings, did I first make acquaintance with the house which is the subject of this Christmas piece…There was no wind, no rain, no lightning, no thunder, no awful or unwonted circumstance, of any kind, to heighten its effect…I will take it on myself to say that anybody might see the house as I saw it, any fine autumn morning.”
—“The Haunted House” Charles Dickens, December 1859, All The Year Round
“As [the door] swung slowly back upon its hinges, I sat up in my chair, clutching at the arms, and staring with a horrified glare at the dark passage outside. Something was coming down it—something unformed and intangible, but still a something. Dim and shadowy, I saw it flit across the threshold, while a blast of ice-cold air swept down the room, which seemed to blow through me, chilling my very heart.”
—“Selecting a Ghost” (later titled “The Secret of Goresthorpe Grange”) Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, December 1883, London Society Magazine
The popularity of ghost stories in Victorian England went hand-in-hand with the popularity of spiritualism: a belief that a person’s spirit persisted after death and could communicate with the living through a spiritual medium. Queen Victoria herself was a spiritualist. After the death of Prince Albert in 1861, the Queen is said to have engaged with mediums in the hopes of communicating with his spirit. Likewise, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, was an extremely devoted spiritualist. He even considered advocating for the beliefs of spiritualism to be the most important of his life’s work.
So, why was spiritualism so popular in the Victorian Era? It was likely due to a confluence of factors. Rapid industrialization and the rise of scientific thinking raised questions around traditional beliefs and spurred a fascination with “experiments” that attempted to uncover the mysteries of both natural and supernatural phenomena. Some scholars have suggested that the high infant mortality rate of the era caused many grieving parents to turn to spiritual mediums for comfort. Spiritualism also appealed to many women because being a medium was one of the few professions in which women were considered more authoritative than men.
Mark Shanahan’s play A Sherlock Carol cleverly evokes the culture and sensibilities of Victorian London to combine with the fictional worlds of Dickens and Doyle. Shanahan’s characters seek to uncover a mystery and represent diverse opinions about spirits and the supernatural. In true Victorian fashion, Shanahan’s A Sherlock Carol invites audiences to participate in the time-honored tradition of enjoying ghost stories at Christmas.
Join us for Taproot’s 50th Anniversary Season!
Till We Have Faces | January 21–February 21, 2026
By C.S. Lewis, Adapted for stage by Karen Lund
The season opens with a world premiere of Till We Have Faces, a powerful retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. Based on C.S. Lewis’s final novel and adapted for stage by Taproot’s Producing Artistic Director Karen Lund, this brand-new play explores deep themes of love, beauty, faith, doubt, and the bonds of sisterhood.
Ain't Misbehavin' | March 18–April 18, 2026
The Fats Waller Music Show by Richard Maltby Jr.
Following the success of 2025’s Always… Patsy Cline, Taproot presents another musical commemoration: Richard Maltby, Jr.’s Ain’t Misbehavin’, a Tony Award-winning tribute to jazz legend Fats Waller. Full of joy, rhythm, and soul, this celebration of Black artistry remembers Fats Waller’s generation-defining songs and lasting impact on today’s music and culture.
Barefoot in the Park | May 13–June 13, 2026
By Neil Simon
Taproot further develops its reputation of producing classic comedies with a production of Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon. Set in 1960s New York, this rom-com about a buttoned-up young lawyer and his free-spirited bride is full of wit, chemistry, and charm.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat | July 8–August 8, 2026
Lyrics by Tim Rice, Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
From iconic duo Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, Taproot tailors the hit musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for its intimate stage, inviting audiences to experience a powerful performance up-close. Previously presented in 2007, this vibrant new production bursts with pop, gospel, calypso, and rock.
Conscience | September 16–October 17, 2026
By Joe DiPietro
The season closes with a regional premiere of Joe DiPietro’s Conscience, a gripping play based on true events that shaped history. Following the story of Margaret Chase Smith, a U.S. Senator who stood up to McCarthyism in the 1950s, this stirring new work still resonates today.
Up Next on the Jewell Mainstage
Till We Have faces
By C.S. Lewis • Adapted for stage by Karen Lund
A world premiere retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche
When Psyche is sacrificed to appease the gods, her sister Orual—the future warrior queen—ventures to give her a proper burial. But Psyche is not dead, and she believes she’s living a life Orual cannot see. What follows is a powerful, mythic journey through love, beauty, faith, doubt, and the bonds of sisterhood..
January 21–February 21, 2026
Early Bird tickets: $30
Make your purchase by January 21 for any performance on or before January 31.
Use promo code EARLY30 online [link: taproottheatre.org/faces] or by phone at 206.781.9707.
*How to purchase Early Bird Tickets: Find the promo code field located at the top of the ticketing page. Enter code before adding regular tickets to cart. This offer is only valid for regular-priced tickets in seat levels B and C for Till We Have Faces performances. Cannot be combined with other discounts and is not valid on previously purchased tickets. Limit four (4) tickets per person.
A Season of Hope
As Sherlock Holmes returns to our stage in A Sherlock Carol, remember, it’s no mystery why Taproot is about to celebrate our 50th Anniversary Season… it’s because of the generosity of patrons like you who have helped us provide stories of hope to our community all these years!
The extraordinary support of our donors has already had a huge impact on over 100,000 people this year alone.
Will you help us reach our $500,000 End-of-Year Goal with a gift today to make sure we can continue to provide hope-filled experiences to as many people as possible?
Every gift, no matter the size, can have a tremendous impact on the future of Taproot and the stories being told in our community.
Please share your hope by making the most generous gift you can by December 31.
Taproot Theatre is a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization, Federal Tax ID# 91-0971237. Your donation to Taproot Theatre Company is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Acting camps and classes available now!
Register today!
For grades K-12
Winter Classes begin February 2. Midwinter break camps run February 16–20. Spring camps are also open for registration now!
Visit our website for the most up-to-date information on Taproot’s Spring Break camps for grades Pre-K– 12. Summer camps go on sale in January!
Improv for Adults!
Learn the basics of storytelling and comedy; improve your ability to think on your feet; boost your communication skills and confidence—or just come out and laugh with some new friends.
Winter Session: February 3–March 31
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