by Rita Charleston

In Agatha Christie's “Witness for the Prosecution,” Leonard Vole is arrested for the murder of Emily French, a wealthy older woman. Unaware that he was a married man, Miss French made him her principal heir, casting suspicion on Leonard after the murder. When his wife, Romaine, agrees to testify, she does so, not in Leonard's defense but as a witness for the prosecution.

Originally written as a short story, Christie adapted her work to a play which first premiered in London in 1953. It was later turned into a film in 1957, starring Tyrone Power as the affable Vole.

The play is now being presented by Stagecrafters. Directed by Yaga Brady, it continues through Dec. 8, with Mark Sherlock in the lead role. Born in Haddon Township, New Jersey, Sherlock made the move across the river to obtain his B.A. degree in Theater at Temple University. He also graduated from Purdue University with an M.F.A. degree in Acting.

“Over the years I found a lot of passion and fulfillment every time I got a chance to do a school play and get up on stage,” Sherlock explained. “In high school I got really involved, and it was something I decided to do as a career. Later I got married, and when my wife, Jessica, wanted to move to Orlando to get her master’s degree at the University of Central Florida, of course I went with her. And when she had completed her studies, we decided to move back to Philly. We wanted to be closer to home and our family and friends.”

Coming back to the area, the couple looked around for the perfect place to put down roots and settled on Chestnut Hill.

“We fell in love with the whole area and are enjoying our time here,” Sherlock remarked. “We were familiar with Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy and the whole area. We had friends who lived there, and every time we were in this area, we fell in love with all the old, beautiful houses. It was green with big, beautiful trees. And it definitely felt like a community and home to both of us.”

What's more, Sherlock added, while walking around the area one day, he discovered Stagecrafters not far from his home. Hearing about auditions, he decided to try out, got this role and is now making his debut at the theater.

“I've played in many other theaters and had heard about Stagecrafters,” Sherlock, 31, said. “People had told me about it. It has a very strong, very good reputation. I was eager to connect with the theater community in this area and this play. Now here I am.

“The play follows Leonard, who is an impulsive dreamer. He's very intense and passionate. He's the type of person who has lots of ideas and plans all the time. He fought in World War II, and when he came back, he struggled to try to clarify what he wants to do. Let's just say he's searching for something.”

Today, the actor said, “I love working at Stagecrafters and I love what I do. And hopefully I can help heighten the tension in the room and give audiences exactly what they came looking for.”

Stagecrafters is located at 8130 Germantown Ave. For tickets, call 215- 247-8881.