Sherlock, Van Gogh, and Pilate Walk Into a Mansion: Theatre 40’s Summer Series Returns

A Historic Partnership for Dramatic Evenings

Get ready for a series of dramatic evenings as Theatre 40 partners with the City of Beverly Hills to bring a unique play reading series to the historic Greystone Mansion. Starting this August, theater enthusiasts can gather at the iconic estate, located at 905 Loma Vista Drive, on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. for a curated selection of compelling scripts.

A Post-Impressionist Mystery

The series kicks off on August 19 with a comedic mystery: Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Elusive Ear by David MacGregor. Directed by Warren Davis, this production features a surreal plot where a bandaged Vincent Van Gogh visits 221B Baker Street to hire Holmes to find his missing ear. This request launches a wild Post-Impressionist conspiracy involving the legendary Irene Adler and a mysterious woman named Marie Chartier. The cast features Todd Andrew Ball, Quinn Ruby DeVries, Eric Keitel, Hisato Masuyama, Michael Mullen, and Holly Sidell.

Classroom Connections and British Pathos

On August 26, the series continues with Simon Gray’s Quartermaine’s Terms. Blending much humor with an undercurrent of pathos, the play examines the lives and relationships of seven teachers working at a small British school for foreigners. The ensemble cast includes David Hunt Stafford, Nick Trafton, Quinn Ruby DeVries, Michael Mullen, Deanna Ruggieri, John Combs, and Todd Andrew Ball.

A Solo Journey from Rome to Judea

The series concludes on September 2 with a powerhouse solo performance in The Lost Gospel of Pontius Pilate, written by Michael Punter. Critically-acclaimed star of stage, screen, and television Maxwell Caulfield portrays Pilate in a production described as part-memoir and part-thriller. The play follows Pilate’s journey from surviving Rome’s worst defeat in Germany to his appointment in Judea, where an encounter with a strange carpenter from Galilee changes his perspective on pain and violence.

Ticket and Venue Information

Tickets for these readings are priced at $10 for Beverly Hills residents and $15 for non-residents. Interested attendees can purchase tickets online through the official Beverly Hills city website HERE. For those driving to the event, there is abundant free parking available onsite at Greystone Mansion.