We're going back to the theater today! And there's a mystery afoot... What happens when the worlds of Sherlock Holmes and Ebenezer Scrooge are thrown together? Find out in the new play that debuts today in NYC, A Sherlock Carol. My guest today is Mark Shanahan, he’s the writer and director of the play. He comes from an extensive background in acting, writing and directing many plays both for the stage and radio. He stops by and we chat about his new play, the challenges of performing theater safely during a pandemic, and the power of stories - especially those by Arthur Conan Doyle and Charles Dickens. Then, I read a Christmas mystery story by Thomas Hardy called "The Thieves Who Couldn't Stop Sneezing." It is a funny short story about a young man named Hubert who stumbles across some thieves planning to rob a nearby mansion. Find out what happens in this charming holiday tale. Timestamps 00:00 My review of Gerald Dickens' A Christmas Carol performance 07:17 Interview with Mark Shanahan 33:08 Story: The Thieves Who Couldn't Stop Sneezing by Thomas Hardy 52:08 December Plans and a Special Thank You! Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375  Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas  Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast  Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c    Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast  instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/  twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod  youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: cozychristmaspodcast@gmail.com   Deck the Halls by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100307