Waite(ing) for “Baskerville” at Murder by the Book

Olivia Discon

We were at Murder by the Book, and we had some time to “kill.” We leafed through the Michael Connelly, thumbed the Agatha Christie, photographed the many Sherlock Holmes artifacts on display…

…and even bought a “Hound of the Baskervilles.”

But the real reason we were there was to see Todd Waite.

With 25 years at the Alley Theatre and an incredible 135 productions under his belt, he’s an institution in Houston theater. When he announced that he will be semi-retiring following his upcoming lead role in Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, we felt the “weight” of the occasion. It was “elementary:” we purchased tickets.

As a prelude to opening night, Waite spoke at Murder by the Book, where he took the stage to the delight of a full house.

During the discussion, Waite discussed his love of language, a passion instilled in him by his mother, an English teacher who taught him early on to appreciate the weight of every word. This foundation shaped his approach to performance, where even the smallest vocal shift—from “ah” to “oh”—can redefine a line’s meaning.

He spoke about the complexity of human emotion and how, beyond the broad categories we assign feelings, true depth is conveyed through inflection, gesture, and tone.

His role as an actor, he explained, is to bring those nuances to life in a way that honors the writer’s intent. He illustrated these ideas with stories from his career, sharing insights from specific productions that influenced his philosophy.

Theater, he notes, is a form of alchemy—combining words, movement, and presence to create something greater than the sum of its parts, and this is something the LEAP Center tries to capture in its approach to education, incorporating the fine arts, history, law, politics, and literature into its curriculum. It is perhaps appropriate, then, that a majority of LEAP students have seen their first professional play with Waite on the Alley Theatre’s stage.

The Alley Theatre itself is something of an anomaly in contemporary American theatre. According to Waite, the Alley employs a full-time, year-round resident company—one of the few, if not the only, to do so. And this, of course, allows the residents of Houston and the surrounding areas, to see first-class theatre year-round.

Although we bid farewell (for now) to Waite’s (Murder by the Book) performance, we eagerly anticipate seeing him take the stage once more as a resident of the theatre company on April 13. We anticipate Baskerville leaving audiences “howling” for more.