Photos: World Premiere Of The MADNESS OF EDGAR ALLEN POE Comes To Addison

With The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe, Outcry Youth Theatre brings another new adaptation to the Addison Theatre Centre's Studio Theatre after their recent world premieres of The Time Machine and The Legend of Arthur. Written by Outcry Theatre Artistic Director Becca Johnson-Spinos along with the show's director Jason Johnson-Spinos, this dark and creepy production is perfectly timed to get you into the Halloween spirit, running from October 18-27.

"It's great fun to be able to bring not just Poe's stories to life, but to bring Poe himself to life," said director and co-author Jason Johnson-Spinos, "By using his letters and poetry as a starting place, we're able to have Poe lead us on this journey through his works, and we're able to get a sense as to why he wrote these morbid and melancholy tales."

Edgar Allan Poe is haunted - by his characters, by his past, and by the dead. His most famous stories and poems come to life before him: The Black Cat, The Masque of the Red Death, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Raven, The Tell-Tale Heart, and more. The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe is a dark, imaginative dive into some of the greatest tales of all time.

Edgar Allan Poe is personified with the help of fourteen-year-old actresses Alex Gray and Giulia Garbani, who successfully channel the middle-aged author nearing the end of a short and tragic life.

"Poe in a strange way feels like an old friend," said Garbani. "I love his writing and after being able to play him, it just felt like I got to know him."

One of the challenges the two actresses face is that they never leave the stage, constantly watching as Poe's stories appear before him, and occasionally interacting with and manipulating the stories.

Gray commented on the experience, "Getting to watch the show through Poe's eyes as his creations come to life around him and meld with his real life is so entrancing and satisfying to do. The whole show connects together so well, and being in the middle of that web is exhilarating."

The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe contains content that may frighten young children. If parents have further questions about the content, the theatre encourages them to use their contact form on outcrytheatre.com.

Tickets are on sale now at:
outcrytheatre.com/the-madness-of-edgar-allan-poe

Photo Credit: Jason Johnson-Spinos