A Review of "The Hound of the Baskervilles," at the New Jersey Repertory Company SuzAnne Barabas MULTITASKING From left: Rich Silverstein as Sir Henry Baskerville, Gary Marachek as Dr. Watson and Wynn Harmon as Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes, Dr. John Watson and Sir Henry Baskerville are discussing a mysterious letter while they swelter in a sauna and - wait, no, that can't be right; there is no such sweaty encounter in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Hound of the Baskervilles." Ah, but this happens to be "The Hound of the Baskervilles" as unleashed by the British authors Steven Canny and John Nicholson, who have adapted Doyle's celebrated 1902 novel to the stage expressly for laughs. Fans of Sherlockiana, depending on their sense of humor, will either love this little spoof or hate it. The comedy, in its Garden State premiere at the New Jersey Repertory Company in Long Branch, toys with a vintage mystery even as it mocks low-rent theater troupes. Technical glitches and seemingly spontaneous remarks thrown at the audience punctuate the show, performed by three actors portraying more than a dozen characters. In certain respects, like its tiny, multitasking cast and ironical airs, this comic thriller resembles the stage version of "The 39 Steps" that hit Broadway in 2008 for a two-year run and is now onstage at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick. The director of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is Mark Shanahan, who not only was an understudy in "The 39 Steps" on Broadway, but also staged the George Street revival. The significant difference between the two comedies is that "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is rendered as a deliberately tatty affair with patchy costumes, minimal scraps of scenery and actors who broadly attack their characterizations. So, meanwhile, back at the sauna, a pathetic wisp of steam wafts from a bucket while Holmes and Dr. Watson - towels modestly wrapped around their Victorian street attire - talk with Sir Henry about his family's "pet story" regarding a hellish dog haunting the ancestral estate. Then, in a flash, the little bench they share becomes a hansom cab in which Holmes and Dr. Watson pursue a suspicious stranger - with Sir Henry galloping beside them, brandishing their towels and toting that bucket. The melodramatic elements of Doyle's well-known tale are rendered in a similarly fluent and farcical manner: The fatal family curse, those dubious characters popping up at eerie Baskerville Hall or upon the treacherous moor, and, above all, the ever-imperturbable Holmes solving crimes. Meta-theatrical intrusions - actors losing their tempers at spectators for tweeting criticism of the show or the unexpected crash of a lighting instrument - layer still more silliness on the proceedings. Mr. Shanahan gives the two-act romp a slapdash treatment on New Jersey Repertory's pocket-size stage. Jessica Parks might have designed wittier scenic fragments, but otherwise her set handles the fast-shifting action well enough. The quasi-Victorian clothes supplied by Patricia E. Doherty properly suggest the wardrobe trunk. Wynn Harmon coolly lends his aristocratic features and an unflappable demeanor to Holmes that contrasts amusingly with his feverish appearances as a mysterious South American señorita in a mantilla, red satin flounces and a lisping accent. Among his other roles, he also sports a mobcap and an obviously bogus beard while playing two creepy Baskerville retainers. Gary Marachek's frequently bug-eyed Dr. Watson resembles a flustered owl. Rich Silverstein tackles six characters, but most notably appears as a young and chipper Sir Henry, who apologizes for his lack of a Canadian accent. Comical highlights of the company's pell-mell performance include a swooning tango between Sir Henry and that Latin temptress, while Dr. Watson plays air violin; a sequence in which Mr. Silverstein repeatedly reframes his face to depict an entire portrait gallery of Baskerville ancestors; and the top of the second act, when the actors hastily recapitulate the plot for any viewers who may have drowsed off earlier - which is unlikely, given the show's frisky action. "The Hound of the Baskervilles," by Steven Canny and John Nicholson, is at the New Jersey Repertory Company, 179 Broadway, Long Branch, through May 27. Information: njrep.org or (732) 229-3166.