Mystery of Edwin Drood interview with Sarah Wolfman-Robichaud

Sarah Wolfman-Robichaud

The Mystery of Edwin Drood is the first ever musical to feature multiple endings. It is also known for the audience participation factor involved that is integral to the show. So how exactly does that work? Fighting Chance Production's Sarah Wolfman-Robichaud plays the title character of Edwin Drood in drag... well... she plays a character who plays the title character of Edwin Drood in drag. We sat down with Sarah for an interview to learn a bit more about what exactly goes on in this choose-your-own-ending musical.

F: Can you briefly describe how the audience participates in Edwin Drood?

S: There is no fourth wall in Edwin Drood. Because it's a play within a play, the actors are interacting with the audience constantly. At the end, the audience gets to vote on who killed Edwin Drood. The actors collect the votes and at that point they get to interact with the audience even more.

In rehearsal (with Alex McMorran and Alfonso Banzon)

F: How many possible endings are there?

S: I think we figured out there's over 400. We have someone in the cast who's taking a stats class right now. Ryan [the director] had figured out one number and then she came back and said there's over 400.

F: And how many possible endings have you rehearsed?

Well, the audience has to choose three different things. They have to choose a detective, a murderer, and two lovers. So the actors have to memorize multiple parts and interactions depending on who gets picked. For the lovers, there are three women who can be paired up with seven men. Unfortunately, due to copyright issues, we couldn't rewrite it so that the women could be paired with women and men could be paired with men. That would've been more in true FCP fashion.

My character is the one that gets murdered, so fortunately I'm not there for that part and I don't have to figure those things out. It is fun seeing [the other actors] wracking their brains trying to figure out the lyrics.

F: So do you have multiple ways to die?

S: Yes, because it depends on who murdered me. But I die offstage, which is a bummer. It's all suspension of disbelief. I disappear.

F: What kind of research did you have to do to prepare for the role of Drood?

S: I actually looked at a lot of photos of male impersonators. Which is very different, I've found from dressing in drag. Especially because it's set in the Victorian era. In the show, my character is addressed in the play as being a woman. As with men playing women's parts in Shakespeare's time, it seems that in Victorian times women playing men's parts wasn't taboo at all. One person I've really kept in mind was Marlene Dietrich with her top hat. I didn't think it would be that hard to play the role because I am a woman in the part.

F: Has Drood always been a drag role? How has that impacted the play?

S: Drood's always been a drag role. In terms of impact, I believe that the part was written with one woman in mind. Betty Buckley, who was in the original production, is the modern day Ethel Merman with her booming horn of a voice. It's also written in mezzo soprano, so good luck to any men who try to do that.

F: What do you do in terms of makeup and wardrobe to turn into a man?

S: I have a three piece suit and I have the makeup of a Victorian woman, complete with curly hair. I won't have a hat, lipstick, or blush. I have breasts and we play with the fact that I obviously have breasts in the play and the other characters are very aware of that.

Jack Rigg as the Chairman

F: What's your favourite part about playing Drood?

S: I get to be a diva. And at first I was very tentatively experimenting with how big to make it, and then Ryan [the director] gave us the permission to be bad actors, keeping in mind that we have to play two parts. So my character is just a really bad actor. Ryan never reeled us back, he kept us asking to do "More more!" She feels that she's the star of the show and the rest of the cast doesn't like her. Ryan told me at one point, "You have to be a mean person, and I know that's hard for you, but you have to be meaner!"

F: What's something you've done onstage that you've never ever though you'd have to do?

S: I played a role where I was a love interest and I had very early on categorized myself as a character actress. And I found it so, so boring! And yeah, after that I realized I'd stick to what I like to do.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Fighting Chance Productions plays at the Metro Theatre (1370 SW Marine Dr, Vancouver) from Feb 16 - March 3, 2012. Tickets via Tickets tonight.

Posted by Filipina Colada