The Mystery of Edwin Drood

The International Thespian Festival (ITF) main stage showcases the best of the best of student performances in school theatre. In 2023, the musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood hits the stage with Thespian Troupe 1794 of Floyd Central Theatre Arts.

Come behind the scenes with director Brooklyn Chalfant. If you’re already registered for ITF 2023 you’ll get to see this show. (Registration is closed at the time of this post.)

A Q&A with the Director of Edwin Drood

DRAMATICS: Why this show right now? What considerations were made in your selection process?

BROOKLYN CHALFANT: Our student performers are extraordinary singers and dancers, so I found a musical that would challenge them as actors. This one has rich characters and music, and has more than 30 possible endings! The audience chooses by vote at each performance which ending they do. The technical crew, performers, and musicians all had to be completely focused and prepared to follow the audience’s decision.

Choosing a show that challenges the students’ weaknesses may seem counterintuitive; typically directors highlight strengths. But one of my goals as a theatre educator is to never be comfortable. Growth happens in the challenges.

It’s been such a rewarding experience watching these students rise to the challenge. They exceeded all expectations by securing a spot on the ITF main stage!

DRAMATICS: Please finish this sentence: You wouldn’t know it but…

CHALFANT: You wouldn’t know it, but our entire production crew is students. Our technical theatre director and teacher, Mr. Jared Willis, and I work to ensure that the tech students are trained and empowered to run all technical aspects of the show.

Then there’s a team of student carpenters that Mr. Willis leads that built the set. I worked closely with our student charge artist and her painting team to bring the Music Hall Royale to life through professional techniques I learned at Cobalt Studios. Our lighting, sound, and props designers are all students as well! During the show, the student stage management team keeps everything running, while our deck, fly, and wardrobe crew make sure the magic takes place behind the scenes. For this show, our crew is actually larger than the cast! They are such professionals.

You also wouldn’t know it, but this is the first show for some of our student performers. One of the best things about theatre education is that it welcomes everyone. So while some of our performers have been doing this since they were quite young, others tried it for the first time in this show and even earned leading roles.

DRAMATICS: What do you want readers to know that we haven’t asked?

CHALFANT: The Mystery of Edwin Drood is weird and quirky. Yet, it’s a perfect show for thespians who love all things metatheatrical and audience interaction. Insider Tip: If you want to get involved with voting on the ending for the performance you see, be sure to sit in an aisle seat!

For ITF 2020, our seniors had earned the privilege of bringing Guys and Dolls to the main stage at festival. Then COVID restrictions resulted in cancellation of the in-person event and festival was virtual. It’s been cathartic for them to have a chance to return and fulfill that dream from their freshman year. They’ve encouraged the other students in the program through the process, too.

Plus, this is my first ITF main stage appearance as a director. I’ve only been teaching theatre for three year. It’s been a career goal of mine since I was a teenage thespian to have a show on the ITF main stage! After festival, it’s time to start dreaming again.

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Patty Craft is Dramatics.org content manager.