Staples Players Rewind: “The Mystery Of Edwin Drood”

Spring of 2007 brought Staples Players’ production of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.”

The Tony Award-winning musical by Rupert Holmes — based on Charles Dickens’ unfinished novel — is notable for its interactive, “solve-it-yourself” format.

Notable too was that Holmes himself came to the high school, and met with the cast and crew during rehearsals.

Click here or below for highlights of that show. Thanks, as always, to Jim Honeycutt. As Staples media teacher, he filmed the production.

Now, in retirement, he’s producing these weekly nutshells.

Several “Drood” actors went on to careers in entertainment, including:

• Hannah Dubne (Ms. Rosa Bud): “Hamlet,” “The Big Gay Italian Wedding”)
• Zoe Apoian (Helena Landless)
• Britt Hennemuth (Reverand Chrisparkle): Senior vice president of production development and special projects, Universal Pictures
• Drew Angus (Horace): recording artist
• Brittany Uomoleale (now Baron): “Glow,” “Final Fantasy VII Remake.”

ENCORE! To promote the show, Players filmed a series of videos. 

This one features Mia Gentile, who played Princess Puffer. She went on to a Broadway career, including “Kinky Boots.”

Here’s another, with Tyler Paul (who went on to make his mark in children’s theater), and the late Joe Ziegahn, Players’ longtime and much-loved technical director.

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