Whodunnit — Who Knows?

Michael Bailey

There’s usually an accepted divide between the audience and the actors during a play — the people on stage know exactly how it should turn out. Not this time. Before the final play of the Drama Department’s 2004-2005 season begins, the actors will be as unsure of the ending as the audience. “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” a zestful musical comedy by Rupert Holmes, is based on Charles Dickens’ uncompleted final novel. The production runs April 14-16 and 20-23 at 8 p.m. at the Culbreth Theatre. Because of the book’s status as an unfinished work, the audience can vote on various options throughout the performance, directly shaping its action. “There is a special challenge — and thrill — in the impulsiveness of the production,” said Erin Hall, the show’s manager and a drama student. “By the math there are over 500 possible endings … so we’ll be going into each show just like the audience — excited about the unknown.” For more information, call the Box Office at 924-3376 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday–Friday.