East Lynne Theater Company Presents POE and THE LODGER in Time for Halloween

The award-winning Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company presents two events in time for Halloween: "Poe by Candlelight" on Saturday, October 22 at 8:00p.m. and the Alfred Hitchcock silent thriller "The Lodger" on Sunday, October 23 at 8:00p.m., both at The First Presbyterian Church, 500 Hughes Street in Cape May, where the theater is in residence.

"Poe by Candlelight" is the final "Tales of the Victorians" performance for 2016. Like other "Tales," that take place at different venues throughout the summer, this will feature light refreshments and stories read by ELTC actors. Refreshments will be served in the hospitality room before the hour-long performance, and the actors are once more Lee O'Connor, James Rana, and Gayle Stahlhuth. Although the performers are the same as last year, the stories are different.

Lee, also ELTC's technical director, is a favorite reader for "Tales," and has portrayed Sherlock Holmes since ELTC began producing radio-style Holmes' adventures in 2002. James recently portrayed Van Helsing in ELTC's "Dracula" and is currently writing a play about World War I that will premiere at ELTC in the fall of 2017. Gayle has been the artistic director of this 36-year-old company since 1999, and is currently performing in "Biography," which she also directed. She's also performing in "Yuletide Tales" for the holidays.

ELTC, in partnership with The Cape May Film Society, is proud to present "The Lodger" (1927) with live organ accompaniment by Wayne Zimmerman. The seemingly mild-mannered Jonathan Drew finds lodging at the Bunting's boarding house at the same time a serial killer is targeting blonde women in London. Jonathan falls for the Bunting's fair-haired daughter, but Mrs. Bunting suspects that her newest tenant is the killer. This thriller stars Ivor Novello (1893-1951), a well-known British actor, playwright, and composer who wrote one of the greatest songs sung during World War I, "Keep the Home Fires Burning."

Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) started his film career as an assistant director in Germany where he observed the great work, first-hand, of Fritz Lang and F. W. Murnau. He was a great admirer of D. W. Griffith and Sergei Eisenstein, and enhanced the quality of the British film industry at a time when it was behind other countries.

Silent films were always accompanied by an organ, piano, and sometimes a full orchestra: the beginnings of film scoring as we know it. From Charlie Chaplin, who scored his own films, to John Williams and Thomas Newman of today, the power of music accompanying a silent or a talking film cannot be undervalued. Experienced composers know that music enhances the action and emotion, but never overshadows it.

Wayne Zimmerman has played in a variety of venues from coast-to-coast and in Hawaii, regaling audiences with his silent-film accompaniment and concerts. He has accompanied films presented by ELTC and The Cape May Film Society since 2011, and his popularity is ever increasing, with patrons driving in from Philadelphia, Princeton, and the New York City area just to hear him. He returns to Cape May to accompany "The Sheik" starring Rudolph Valentino, the final in the Sunday Silent Film Series, on November 13 at 7:00p.m. This is also the final event for the 2016 Cape May Film Festival, and those with Festival passes to all other weekend events, will be admitted for free.

Reservations are strongly recommended for both shows, and may be purchased through ELTC's website,eastlynnetheater.org, by calling 609-884-5898., or e-mailing eastlynneco@aol.com. Tickets for "Poe by Candlelight" are $12, and for "The Lodger," $15. Ages 12 and under are free for both.

Meanwhile, there is only week left to see "Biography" on ELTC's mainstage, playing through Saturday, October 15 only. Up next, is ELTC's "Masked Gala" at Aleathea's at The Inn of Cape May on Monday, October 31 at 5:30p.m., presenting dinner and a show for $60, with James Rana once more hosting the evening.