Berkshire Theatre Group to Premiere POE at Unicorn Theatre, 10/2-26

Berkshire Theatre Group presents POE, a world premiere at the Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge. Opening Night is October 4 at 8pm. Preview performances begin on October 2 at 7pm and the production closes October 26 at 2pm.

Tickets to POE are $35. Tickets may be purchased in person at the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street, Pittsfield; by calling (413) 997-4444 or online at www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org. All plays, schedules, casting and prices are subject to change.

In this world premiere, longtime BTG Alum, David Adkins takes the stage as the literary great and masterful wordsmith Edgar Allan Poe. Perfect for the autumnal Halloween season of October, the poetic and macabre tales of terror come to life in a brilliant reflection of the Poe written and directed by Eric Hill.

"POE is a new play about the great American poet and short story writer and his mysterious disappearance for four days in Baltimore in 1849," said director Eric Hill. "Found nearly dead outside a 14th Ward polling station on the evening of election day, Poe's last wanderings in the city he made famous are the subject of this play that examines the man behind the poems and stories."

Hill carefully examines the fascinating life of a man whose works have lived on and shaped the literary landscape of today. With the humor, the grotesque and supernatural style of Poe, Hill paints the vivid picture of Poe's life and draws out the veracity of the world Poe created through his words.

Despite having only lived to 40 years of age, Poe is celebrated as a major figure in world literature and is especially noted for his major contributions to the dark romanticism genre with works like, The Raven, one of the most highly regarded canonical poems. A Boston native, Poe etched his name in the annals of American literature as an editor and writer of gothic and mysterious short stories and poems. Many credit Poe as the father of detective fiction and the modern short story narrative.