The audience will get in on the act when the curtain goes up on The Mystery of Edwin Drood at UMW’s Klein Theatre on Thursday, Nov. 3.
This unpredictable whodunit was adapted from Charles Dickens’ last work, which was unfinished by the renowned writer before he died in 1870. The production runs through Nov. 20.
“Nobody knows for sure how he was going to end the story,” said Jon Reynolds, director of marketing and audience services for the Department of Theatre, “so they take it to the audience and put it up to a vote.”
The musical murder mystery tells the story of the egocentric and lecherous John Jasper, who’s in love with his beautiful music student Rosa Bud. Rosa, however, is engaged to Jasper’s nephew, Edwin Drood, who mysteriously turns up missing on Christmas Eve.
Through cheers and polling, the crowd votes each night to cast a murderer, detective, and pair of lovers. Depending on how they decide, there are more than 500 possible endings to the show, Reynolds said.
“It’s of a very heightened acting style,” said Gregg Stull ’82, chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance, and professor of theatre. “It’s a great exercise for our students to have to be in the moment and prepare themselves for the ending the audience chooses.”
Though the performance’s format is a bit of a challenge, UMW’s theatre department is up to the task, Stull said, having mastered other intricate works. The cast has been in rehearsal since the last week of August, getting ready to treat viewers to a new show each night.
“It’s an unusual opportunity,” he said of Rupert Holmes’ Tony Award-winning musical. “The audience gets very connected with what’s going on onstage.”
General admission is $24, $20 for students and senior citizens, $16 for groups of 10 or more, and $10 with a UMW ID. The production also hosts Friday Night Out, a pre-show party with drinks and hors d’oeuvres for $40 on Friday, Nov. 4, and a sign-interpreted performance on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 2 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online at www.fredtix.com, by calling the box office at 540-654-1111, or by stopping by Klein Theatre Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and one hour before performances.
For a complete schedule and more information, visit UMW Theatre.