Submitted photo From left, Davis & Elkins College students and members of the cast of ‘Lizzie: The Musical’ Nicole Schumacher (Alice Russell), Trinity Fleming (Lizzie Borden), Sidney Apanowicz (Emma Borden) and Marissa Mallow (Bridget Sullivan) presented ‘The House of Borden’ to the Rotary Club of Elkins.

ELKINS — Davis & Elkins College Assistant Professor of Theatre and Film Lonnie Martin, along with cast members Sidney Apanowicz, Trinity Fleming, Marissa Mallow and Nicole Schumacher, visited with the Rotary Club of Elkins, giving the group a preview of D&E’s upcoming production of “Lizzie: The Musical.” The four-character ensemble performed the play’s opening number, “The House of Borden.”

Martin is a graduate of Davis & Elkins College and also holds an M.F.A. in Film and Electronic Media from American University. Martin joined the D&E faculty in 2018 and currently teaches classes in Film & Theatre as well as directing the College’s production of “Lizzie: The Musical.” “It’s a 90-minute Rock and Roll musical. It’s really fun and it’s based off various rock acts from the 70s and 80s. The dialogue is reconstructed from actual court records,” said Martin. “It’s a very fun, raucous, rock and roll night.” Due to mature themes and ideas, it is recommended that the show is appropriate for those 16 years of age and older.

The play uses the Rock and Roll format to tell the story of Lizzie Borden and the killing of her father and stepmother in 1892 in Fall River, Massachusetts. Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered in their home, both sustaining multiple axe blows. At the time of the murders, Lizzie and the Borden’s maid Bridget Sullivan were the only other people in the house. Due to ongoing family tensions, Lizzie was accused of the crime and arrested. Although Lizzie was acquitted of the crime, she remained the prime suspect in the murders and was ostracized for the remainder of her life.

“Lizzie: The Musical” is based on a book by Tim Maner; the play was written by Steven Chelsie-Demeyer, Maner and Alan Stevens Hewitt. It delves into Lizzie Borden’s mind and speculates on the various motives she would have had for killing her father and stepmother. The cast consists of Lizzie, her sister Emma, maid Bridget and next-door neighbor Alice who had served as a witness during the trial.

Lizzie Borden is portrayed by Trinity Fleming. Fleming is a senior from Temecula, California who is majoring in psychology and criminology with aspirations of becoming a forensic psychologist or medical examiner. In addition to participating in D&E theater productions, Fleming is a member of the Senator softball team and has been named to the D&E president’s list.

Sidney Apanowicz, a senior from Fairmont, West Virginia, is portraying Lizzie’s sister, Emma Border. Apanowicz is majoring in theater and English with a minor in filmmaking. She has also performed in “The Tempest,” “The Crucible,” and “Peter and the Starcatcher” and received the Pendleton Prize in Theater during D&E’s Spring 2025 Academic Awards and Recognition Convocation.

The role of the Borden’s maid, Bridget Sullivan, is held by Marissa Mallow, a junior from Elkins, who is majoring in art and theater. A veteran of the Old Brick Playhouse apprentice program, Mallow has also performed in “She Kills Monsters,” “The Tempest,” and “Peter and the Starcatcher” and authored the original play, “Ptolemy,” a performance art piece about a girl struggling with accepting her place in the afterworld.

Nicole Schumacher rounds out the four-woman cast in the role of Alice Russell, the Borden’s neighbor. Schumacher is a senior from Clarksburg who is majoring in theater with a minor in communications. Schumacher has appeared in the D&E productions of “Legally Blond the Musical,” “She Kills Monsters” and “The Crucible.” She has also been named to the D&E president’s list and received recognition in the Creative Arts during D&E’s Spring Academic Awards and Recognition Convocation.

D&E’s production of “Lizzie: The Musical” opens in Harper-McNeely Auditorium at The Myles Center for the Arts on Thursday, Oct. 9 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 12. Thursday, Friday and Saturday’s shows are at 7:30 p.m. with Sunday’s show at 2:30 p.m. Reservations can be made at https://linktr.detheater or by calling 304.637-1255. There is no cost to attend.

In the spring of 2026, the D&E Theatre Department will be presenting “Cinderella.” Information about other upcoming Davis & Elkins College happenings, including arts and entertainment, academic and athletic events, can be found at www.dewv.edu.

Rotary is a global network of 1.4 million neighbors, friends, leaders and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in their communities, and in themselves. Visit www.Rotary.org to learn more about Rotary International, visit the club’s Facebook page — Rotary Club of Elkins — or contact 2025-2026 club president Phillips Kolsun at phillipskolsun@gmail.com for more information about the Rotary Club of Elkins.