LEXINGTON PARK, Md. – Basing productions on classic novels is a popular practice within the theatre community, but eviscerating the tone of the original source material while doing so is less common. There are far more that faithfully stick to the novel’s initial intent such as The Phantom of the Opera, 1984, and Little Women, just to name a few. The Newtowne Players’ (NTP) newest production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood delves into the unusual subtype of literary stage adaptations where the story is totally flipped on its head, to epically hilarious ends.
Originally produced on Broadway in 1986, The Mystery of Edwin Drood is a comedy show-within-a-show musical penned by Rupert Holmes. It opened to rave reviews (and five Tony awards) during its original run, had a national tour in 1988, was revived on Broadway in 2012, and has since become a favorite amongst community theatre companies. Holmes crafted a creative concept by making the musical a choose-your-own-adventure style production based on Charles Dickens’ final and unfinished novel of the same name. The first act is spent telling the story up until a murder is committed, and the second act invites the audience to make real-time decisions about how the narrative should be resolved. Theoretically, every performance contains the capacity to be wholly unique each and every time it is performed.
I cannot overstate how committed this entire cast is to the task at hand – entertaining every single audience member. However, Megan Rankin Herring as Drood and Kristin Kauffman as Rosa Bud were two actors that I found to be of particular note. Herring plays a female drag performer who plays Edwin Drood in the fictitious play. She not only produces a thoughtful Edwin Drood and a fabulous Dick Datchery but also the hilarious diva of an actress that had me almost in tears during a particular scene during Act II. It is now my eternal prayer to the community theatre gods that she be cast in many more shows in SoMD. Kauffman creates the quintessential romantic lead in Rosa that maintains a beautiful depth during her interactions with each character. Watching her heartfelt performance almost made me forget I was watching a comedy for the briefest of moments because of its emotional depth.
Direction by Tessa Silvestro eagerly demands that the audience become an authentic part of the evening from the moment everyone is first invited to enter the theater through the use of interactive cast members interspersed throughout. Each one of them remains entirely in character while improvising organic conversations with audience members. The conversations are judicially peppered with brief snippets of what one can expect from the evening. There were plenty of laughs to be had, even during this prelude to the main event. Even once the proverbial curtain rises, the immersion remains in perpetuity for the duration of the production. Silvestro’s remarkable ability to put the audience at ease at every unconventional turn of the show is truly a joy to participate in and the intimacy of the Three Notch Theater is perfectly suited to her creative choices.
The set design by Silvestro is a minimal one with a stage bathed in red, but its simplicity suits the narrative quite swimmingly, as it does not at any juncture distract from the action occurring on stage. The highlight of technical design for this production, by far, is choreography by Ben Simpson. As I have come to expect with his prior work (Hello, Dolly! and Guys and Dolls at the Port Tobacco Players), his choreography contains a dynamic, utterly entrancing quality to it that is rarely boring, and oftentimes slightly gawk-inducing with its complexity, given the medium of community theatre. Luckily for Simpson, there is no shortage of elaborate dance break opportunities in this show to work with.
With unabashed praise, I would recommend this show to just about anyone who is seeking an entertaining evening (or afternoon) that feels fresh and recently uncharted for community theatre here in SoMD. It is my uttermost desire that NTP pursue more interactive productions akin to this one in future seasons. However, until then, joining in on this one will have to do. Buy your ticket now, and be sure to thank me later for what I promise to be a unique experience.
Approximate run time is 2 hours and 30 minutes with one fifteen-minute intermission.
This show contains very minor cursing and innuendo. On the whole, the entire family should be able to enjoy it, if your kids have the attention span for live theatre.
The Mystery of Edwin Drood will be playing at the Three Notch Theater at 21744 South Coral Drive Lexington Park, MD 20653 through October 22nd, 2023. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit their website here.
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