Nevermore will local fans of Edgar Allan Poe be forced to mull over his works from a solitary perch on a mausoleum. Extremely morbid poetry is more safely enjoyed with a crowd.
In Thriller at Terrace Hill: Blood Read Poe, five of the Victorian author's works are performed by professional actors. The second part of the night, a one-act play "Claustrophilia" (love of enclosed spaces) by Northern California playwright Amy Freeds, turns the mood from macabre to comic.
Deshana Langford (pictured), 32, is one of the Repertory Theater of Iowa's cast who will bring Poe's poems to life - or, should we say, to the undead.
In "Spirits of the Dead," Langford plays a character she describes as "slinky" - a seductress with an evil side. As the actors recite lines like "Thy soul shall find itself alone/'Mid dark thoughts of the grey tomb-stone," from the haunting work, they'll move about the set like spirits who have come to roost in the grand staircase at Terrace Hill.
"We're really going to try to engage the audience and get them involved as well, but I can't say how," Langford said. Poe's poems lend themselves to suspense. Landford will represent a woman looking forward to her wedding, but the chimes ultimately take a darker note. "It ends up kind of terrifying through the end," she said.
The performances shouldn't send you to bed with nightmares (although they are not recommended for children). Each is followed by a dessert reception with the cast.
