Synopsis:

Tonight's show is a murder mystery with a twist. The twist is the importance of audience participation, which will allow YOU to choose the ending of the show! During this evening's performance, actors and actresses will be coming out into the audience to ask you to vote for one of tonight's murderer's! Our show takes place in 1892, in a small music hall in England, where a troupe of performers is employed. Their current production is, of course, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, based on Chales Dickens's unfinished novel of the same name. The actors take on their roles in the play but can't seem to stay in character. The personal relationships between the actors and the stress of producing the play continually interrupts the action. In fact, tnoight each Denison student is playing two parts: the character in Dickens's play as well as the actor in the troupe of the Music Hall Royale. So prepare yourselves for a long and winding path, with many twists and turns. But be careful, should you leap to conclusions without all the relevant information, you may find yourself carried... Off to the Races! So, be prepared to cast your all-important vote to catch a murderer and help to solve The Mystery of Edwin Drood!

Cast:

The Chairman - Cole Dunster
John Jasper/Clive Paget - Blake Whyte
Edwin Drood/Alice Nutting - Emily Baker
Rosa Bud/Deidre Peregrine - Elaine Martin
Helena Landless/Janet Conover - Gretchen Phillips
Neville Landless/Victor Grinstead - Jimmy Clawson
Reverend Crisparkle - Brian Giovanni
Princess Puffer/Angela Prysock - Megan Long
Durdles/Nick Cricker - Mark Soloff
Deputy/Nicole Cricker - Brittany Klintworth
Jane Throttle - Jeryl Hayes
Beatrice - Morgan Koepke
Flo - Heather Hawke

Program:

Scene I:
The Home of John Jasper at Minor Canon Corner in the cathedral city of Cloisterham. A morning late in December.
A Man Could Go Quite Mad - Jasper
Two Kinsmen - Drood & Jasper

Scene II:
The conservatory at The Nun's House, a seminary for young women in Cloisterham High Street. Later that morning.
Moonfall - Rosa
Moonfall (Reprise) - Helena & Rosa, with Wendy & Beatrice

Scene III:
The opium den of Princess Puffer in the East End of London. Dawn, the next day.
The Wages of Sin - Puffer

Scene IV:
Cloisterham High Street. The following afternoon.
Both Sides of the Coin - Jasper & Chairman, with Company

Scene V:
The graveyard of Cloisterham Cathedral. Early Christmas Eve.
Perfect Strangers - Rosa & Drood

Scene VI:
The home of John Jasper. A short time later.
No Good Can Come From Bad
   - Neville, Rosa, Helena, Crisparkle, Jasper, & Drood

Scene VII:
Minor Canon Corner. Christmas Day.
Off to the Races - Company

Entr'acte

England Reigns - Company

Scene I:
Cloisterham Station. Six months later.
Settling Up the Score - Puffer & Dutchery, with Company

Scene II:
Minor Canon Corner
The Name of Love and Moonfall (Reprise)
   - Rosa & Jasper, with Company
Don't Quit While You're Ahead - Puffer & Company

The Voting
immediately followed by
The Garden Path to Hell - Puffer
Out on a Limerick - Deputy

The Solution

Production Staff

Director - Dr. Belinda Andrews-Smith
Assistant Director - Bart Smith
Chorus Master/Accompanist - Cheridy Keller
Conductor - Ching-Chu Hu
Stage Manager - Darby Morris
Assistant Stage Manager - Rachael Sholten

Orchestra:

Flutes - Mary Hallan, Krista Wiseman
Clarinets - Michael Soroka, Daniel Kinicki
Oboe - Natalie Layne
Bassoon - Sherrell Easley
Horn - Lauren Dwyer
Trumpets - Danielle Wilbraham, Scott Rogers
Trombone - Bob Hall
Violins - Chris Dougherty, Lindsay Brown, Jeff Nibert
Violas - Jonathan Seigel, Abby Bacon, Annette Thornburg
Cellos - Mike Berlin, Shane Hancock
Bass - Tom Hankinson
Drums - Seth Rogers
Percussion - Steve Norris
Keyboards - Cheridy Keller, Katie Moore

Ensemble:

Vindy Bailey, Emily Horabik, Mandy Hull, Sarah Kronour, and Meredith McCoy