BY KAREN BOSSICK
Before there was Stephen King, the master of horror was Edgar Allan Poe.
He encapsulated the terrifying feeling of despair from losing someone close to you in “The Raven” and he probed the depth of the human psyche in the mad man of his story “The Tell-Tale Heart.”
Now, the new Liberty Theatre Company will channel Poe’s classics in a series of free filmed online dramas it’s dubbed “Nevermore Nights.”
Liberty Theatre Company artists will perform haunting tales from the master of the macabre for three days and nights--Friday, Oct. 29, through Halloween—Sunday, Oct. 31.
Joel Vilinsky will perform “The Tell-Tale Heart” on Friday, with Leo Padilla serving up a performance in Spanish. Matt Gorby will perform “The Black Cat” on Saturday, and Christine Leslie will perform “The Raven” on Sunday.
Each pre-filmed performance will be released online at noon on its release date and viewers may watch it any time that day. Friday and Saturday’s performances may be watched through Sunday, as well. To see the performances, visit https://libertytheatrecompany.org or bit.ly/nevermorenights
“We wanted to do something for the community, but we knew that with the spike in the pandemic that in-person shows were a little difficult at this moment,” said Nevermore Nights Assistant Director Chris Carwithen. “We decided to go with a filmed reading event so people could tune in online. We have a lot of strong talent here and we wanted to celebrate our local artist pool and the season—it’s a fun time of the year.”
The performances were filmed at the historic Ezra Pound House in Hailey, courtesy of the Sun Valley Museum of Art. Filming allows company artists to allude to things visually and use special effects and other ways of depicting madness, grief and terror that they couldn’t on stage, Carwithen said.
“We pride ourselves on being a producer of live theater but we’re excited to jump into the realm of film,” he added.
Director Matt Musgrove said that Poe is adept at exploring the complexities of human nature.
“Yes, they are fun and chilling tales to tell by the fireside. But on a deeper level, they examine how fragile our minds are when confronted with grief, anger and one’s own mortality,” he said. “These are characters that are coping and justifying.”
Musgrove added that many viewers will probably be able to relate to some of Poe’s characters and scenarios, having lived through the pandemic for the past 19 months.
“I believe we’re all experiencing that ‘Nevermore’ moment, a time when our internal struggles are reflected in our external circumstances,” he said. “Stories like these give us the ability to recognize our own troubles, and they empower us to take control of the way we behave in times of stress.”
Christine Leslie said she is attracted to the classic dark melancholy of Poe’s work, especially this time of the year.
“With All Hallows’ Eve quickly approaching, Poe’s elements of the macabre and supernatural fuel my desire for a chilling, thrilling night of storytelling,” she said. “The language is richly descriptive and transports us to another time.”
Carwithen said he wasn’t terribly familiar with Poe’s works but he is fascinated with the way they allow readers to look at how people deal with emotions like grief and madness.
“In ‘The Raven,’ for instance, a person has experienced deep loss—the loss of someone they love. Our interpretation is that this person is feeding this grief by externalizing his immense sorrow onto this raven and continuing to perpetuate his own unhappiness,” he said.
“We can look at ourselves and ask: Am I feeding this emotion unnecessarily? Are there healthy ways I can cope with what I’m going through? It’s interesting to watch these characters go through some of things we’re experiencing now and reflect on them.”
COMING UP:
The Liberty Theatre Company is planning a holiday show meant to bring smiles to the faces of viewers. The company is also planning to do a big grand opening, live production in March with one or two readings in between that and the Christmas production.