American Fork — An artist’s work is never done. There are always more stories to be told. For Charles Dickens, audiences were left hanging when he died half way through a series that never finished. The story of Edwin Drood remained unfinished for more than 100 years until playwright Rupert Holmes turned it into a macabre, audience participation musical comedy in 1985 called The Mystery of Edwin Drood which ended up winning five Tony Awards. On October 9, I had the chance to see Timp Arts’ [Formerly Timpanogos Community Theatre] excellent production and left with laughter, intrigue, and another mystery left unsolved.
Drood opens with actors mingling with the audience and giving strong opinions about who to vote for and not vote for at the beginning of the show. While “what” is being voted on is unclear, the show opens as a play within a play. Actors tell that they will perform a musical setting the stage for Dickens’ unfinished classic and the mystery that is about to unfold. The plot is simple. Edwin Drood is engaged to be married to his beloved Rosa, but the pair mutually breaks off the engagement when it is clear neither he nor his fiancé have more than familiar love for one another. He then disappears and the cast of characters who is met between these events become the natural suspects to answer the question of what happened to Edwin Drood.
There are no spoilers to offer for this show for two reasons. The first is that the cast tells you at the start what is to come broadly, and the second is that a series of audience votes change what happens every night. This gives the production high value for audience members to return to see again and again. The cast, very rudely I might add, decides that Edwin has been murdered in each show and the leading actor in a fit of fully justified, and highly comedic torment, doffs costume on stage and departs the play within the play in a huff. The audience is then left two questions. Who is the curious new detective in town, and who has killed Edwin? Audiences vote on these outcomes and hilarity continues.
Timp Arts absolutely crushed this production. Andrew Jefferies’ direction helps the cast find all of the right comedic notes. Physical comedy lands with excellent timing. Adult jokes deliver without being too suggestive for minors and audience members of refined humor. Word play is clear and communicated well and the cast, when given space to improvise, were trusted enough to play hilariously. It was great casting and direction.
Lily Shepherd was an absolute delight as Edwin Drood (and the actor ‘Alice’ playing Drood). Shepherd had a great ability to escalate comedy to new heights with fresh discoveries, playful physical choices, and a certain aloofness in the role of Drood. When Drood’s mustachioed evil uncle John Jasper (Mark Gordon) sings a duet about being best friends, the dramatic irony is rich for the audience. Drood is naive and Jasper maniacal so the comedy lands beautifully.
Each actor leaned hard into the melodramatic archetypes of their characters. Gordon brought dastardly insanity to the role of Jasper. Lucas Stewart played Neville with smug pomp in word and gesture, and had – as we’ll discuss – profound stage chemistry with Alexa Thompson who played his vaguely accented and delightfully roguish, sister Helena. Kristyan Williams was a delight as Princess Puffer, queen of the opium den and brought the right mix of mystique and potency of her sinister role.
Wayne Keller III was fantastic in his role as the Chairman. He served as part sinister ring leader, part audience aware jokester, and part geriatric mayor. He had a booming, resonant tone that was just right for the part and set a good tone for the show. Each time the audience needed a re-direction, he was there and was delightful in the audience vote and improvisation moments.
On the night I saw the show, the audience voted that Drood had been killed by Rosa, his former fiancé. Taylor Ann Jaeger played Rosa as the wide eye ingenue which was comedically and characteristically excellent throughout the show. Her wide eyed fear during the song “Moonfall” that creepy uncle Jack requires her to sing lands with the right mix of high stakes and ringing clarity. However Jaeger was at her best when singing the song explaining the murder she committed. It was more raw and even edgy.
The final vote was about an uplifting love song to change the mood after a bleak ending, and with Rosa a killer, the lover pairings were down to one of the men with just Helena or Princess Puffer. Helena received the first vote, and – much to the chagrin of the cast members and some audience members – the fan vote paired her with Neville. This hilariously awkward pairing and deeply uncomfortable looking kiss was the result of a joyfully menacing audience indicating they thought incest was best. While the actors aren’t related, their hilarious discomfort was a delight
The show had excellent designer work. Hair and Makeup designed by Lily Shepherd (Edwin), including some great wigs by Cheryl Cripps showcased impressive quick hair changes. The looks were instructive visually right away and served to elevate the contrast between characters. Kristyan Williams (Puffer) also served as Scenic Designer and created an excellent moving set that was an excellent combination of detailed and highly functional. Strong lighting was both additive to locations and set the emotional tone in key moments. The only design element that struggled was sound which mixed in a way where actors were hard to hear over music. This might have been due to exceptionally high mic placement, but the result led to times where, despite strong articulation from the cast, the words were still hard to understand in their sometimes rapid fire delivery.
The last mystery that remains is what happens next with this vital community organization. While a 2027 season is slated for the historic Valentine Theatre, plans are already in the works to convert the space thereafter leaving Timp Arts with still unanswered questions about where they go next. I’ve had the pleasure of covering impressive performances from Timp Arts including The Sound of Music and The Hunchback of Notre Dame; and just like their excellent production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood it is no secret that this organization consistently delivers great community theatre that delights audiences again and again. For Timp Arts, and this cast/crew, there are still excellent stories to tell.
MORE INFO: The Mystery of Edwin Drood is currently playing at the Valentine Theater (839 E. 9th N., American Fork, UT 84003), presented by Timp Arts Theater, a program of the Timpanogos Arts Foundation. The production runs October 9–24, 2026, with performances on Mondays and Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 PM. Remaining performances are October 19, 22, 23, and 24; the October 23 performance includes ASL interpretation. Tickets range from $15 to $25, plus fees. For the latest schedule, production details, and official ticketing, visit TimpArts.com.
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