Theatre Play Review Essay
Intro to Theatre Play Critique I went to the University Of North Carolina School of the Arts February 25, 2012 to see a production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood. It was not the most stunning of performances as the director John Langs definitely deserves some blame. When I first sat down in my seat, I immediately looked around me and saw several people also in attendance for the play. Quite frankly, I was unsure of what to expect as the only other play I had gone to was a Broadway production in New York. The actors and actresses came down the aisle during the very beginning of the production and talked to members of the audience including me. I thought it was a very good strategic move in order to get the audience immediately involved and
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All the actors were standing pretty much in a straight line on the stage. As well, they did not utilize the space on the stage very well. The time period reflected the time period in other productions of the play. It was unusual that the actors asked the audience to help them solve the murder. However, other productions of the play across the country also seek the audience’s input in solving the murder of Edwin Drood. The musical, by Rupert Holmes, had a very interesting plot. In the play, the handsome Edwin Drood has fallen in love with Rosa Bud. In the beginning of the play, Edwin Drood is murdered which is to the dismay of many people. There were many suspects in the murder who include the following characters: John Jasper, Rosa Bud, Neville Landless, Princess Puffer, The Reverend Mr. Crisparkle, Bazzard, and Durdles. After intermission, in the second act of the play the actors and actresses came up and tallied votes for who killed Edwin Drood. I had voted for the Reverend Mr. Crisparkle because he believed Jasper to be the incarnation of Satan and thus killed Drood. However, the audience was not in agreement with me as the majority believed that Durdles was the killer. Durdles had believed that Drood was a ghost and thus smashed his head. When Durdles talked to the audience in efforts of pleading for his innocence, his defense was that it would be silly and foolish for him to do such a
All the actors were standing pretty much in a straight line on the stage. As well, they did not utilize the space on the stage very well. The time period reflected the time period in other productions of the play. It was unusual that the actors asked the audience to help them solve the murder. However, other productions of the play across the country also seek the audience’s input in solving the murder of Edwin Drood. The musical, by Rupert Holmes, had a very interesting plot. In the play, the handsome Edwin Drood has fallen in love with Rosa Bud. In the beginning of the play, Edwin Drood is murdered which is to the dismay of many people. There were many suspects in the murder who include the following characters: John Jasper, Rosa Bud, Neville Landless, Princess Puffer, The Reverend Mr. Crisparkle, Bazzard, and Durdles. After intermission, in the second act of the play the actors and actresses came up and tallied votes for who killed Edwin Drood. I had voted for the Reverend Mr. Crisparkle because he believed Jasper to be the incarnation of Satan and thus killed Drood. However, the audience was not in agreement with me as the majority believed that Durdles was the killer. Durdles had believed that Drood was a ghost and thus smashed his head. When Durdles talked to the audience in efforts of pleading for his innocence, his defense was that it would be silly and foolish for him to do such a