Doctor Watson’s Neglected Patients meeting

I am a Holmes scion virgin no longer having just attended the May tea for Doctor Watson’s Neglected Patients in Denver.

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, let me explain that the Baker Street Irregulars of New York is the pre-eminent Sherlockian organization in the United States, but it’s rather exclusive — you essentially have to kill off one of the members to get invited. But it does approve of scion societies around the country, and in Denver that society is DWNP.

About 30 people attended, the turnout being judged quite good, at the Denver Women’s Press Club, a seriously charming Victorian that must have a perception distortion field because I would have sworn there is no building at 1325 Logan Street.

Visitors and members (realistically there is no difference because at the moment the society is not collecting dues) were treated to finger foods — cucumber, smoked salmon and curried chicken sandwiches, brownies, fruit bars and an enigmatic trifle that participants were practically forced to consume at threat of the proverbial blunt instrument by none other than Mrs. Hudson, played by society member (and press club member) Sally Kurtzman.

NOTE: The paragraph below is incomplete as I left the meeting without a program. I have sent a message asking for the missing information and will add it as soon as possible.

UPDATED: Cast members have been updated thanks to Sally Kurtzman but I remain unaware of the actual title or author of the skit.

UPDATED: Larry Feldman has provided the title and author of the play.

Society members also performed a skit — “The Holmesian Guide to the Internet” — with Kurtzman as the narrator, Stan Moskal as Holmes, Joe Aiello as Watson and “Fausto Coppi” as Moriarty, with Larry Feldman and Ron Lies as shills planted in the audience. W. Schroeder Dorn, who I think usually employs the moniker Bill Dorn, was the director and P. Licht is listed as the technical advisor. In the play, apparently first performed in New York and penned by Andrew Joffe, BSI, Holmes and Watson show an affinity for social media but unfortunately so does Holmes’ rival Moriarty.

The society meets twice a year, once in May for tea and again in January to celebrate Holmes’ birthday, but there were dark mutterings in the crowd about the need for more frequent events (I may been one of the grumblers) and the mysterious disappearance of all the board members. The society would apparently benefit from new members and I urge Sherlockians in the Denver area to visit the DWNP web site and the facebook page.