I always hate it when people can’t explain a movie or theater production. It makes it seem like they didn’t watch the show carefully enough. But after seeing Centerstage Theatre’s production of Crucifer of Blood — A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, by Paul Giovanni and directed by Vince Brady, I can understand how this happens.



At one level, the show is a typical mystery involving the great detective (played by Laurence Hughes) and his physician sidekick, Dr. Watson (Dean Wilson.) There are death, intrigue and a parade of clues along the way that become clues to the audience only after the killer is revealed.



It seems that years before the story starts two English officers stationed in an outpost in India stole the Agra treasure by killing off a few natives. Entering from stage left is a curse. Pain and death soon follow for anyone who has contact with the treasure. The trail to solve the mystery jumps from India to Baker Street to the waterfront of London and an opium den that doesn’t sell sugar cookies. The show is staged as one of Holmes’ first mysteries, but his reputation is already well in place. Although the basic storyline is fairly straightforward, there are some twists and turns that are unexpected, even by Holmes’ standards. Revealing an example might take away from the show, so just take my word for it.



What made this show stand out is that it had a solid cast down the ranks — although no one really stood out as remarkable. The staging was sparse but effective because the story kept marching without long pauses for scene changes.



[Knutzen Family Theater, through March 15, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, $8-$25, 3200 S.W. Dash Point Road, Federal Way, 253.661.1444]

On stage

One of the sleeper hits of the season in the South Sound might just be Tuesdays with Morrie, which opens at Olympia Little Theatre tomorrow. If you don’t know the story, then you should consider yourself an unclean heathen and should immediately redeem yourself.

[Olympia Little Theatre, through March 29, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, 1925 Miller Ave. N.E., Olympia, 360.786.9484]



Seussical, The Musical is a fun show about the fantastical and magical world of the Cat in the Hat, and how it is playing at Black Hills.

[Encore! Theater, through March 15, 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, $8-$15, 6615 38th Ave. N.W., Gig Harbor, 253.858.2282]