Play Suggestions: Edgar Allen Poe

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Edgar Allen Poe

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Play Suggestions
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URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5391
Printed Date: 10/31/25 at 4:03am
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Topic: Edgar Allen Poe

Posted By: thomasjnj
Subject: Edgar Allen Poe
Date Posted: 10/20/12 at 7:00pm

Our local library is celebrating Edgar Allen Poe for their Big Read event and asked our theater group to do something to correlate with this. We have a full season and as this will be an add-on we will do it as a one night event only.
Our members do not have the time or energy for a full play, set, costumes, etc. so I am thinking a readers theatre type of event. Any suggestions or recommendations?? Thanks in advance!

Replies:

Posted By: vickifrank
Date Posted: 10/20/12 at 7:40pm

If you do reader's theatre you could spice it up. Have a serious one, then it might be fun to try Edgar Allen Poe poems as different interpretations, for instance, to rap one, sing another as classical music, etc...

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Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 10/22/12 at 11:53am

Re: vikifrank - I am not one to favor "rapping" anything - even rap itself. I think it cheapens the product. But maybe that's just a "generational thing" with me.

That said, you could indeed do "The Bells" as a "speaking" chorus, with bass, tenor, soprano and alto voices. It might be very effective.

Readers theater is the way to go for the rest of your presentation. Do "The Raven" obviously, and end with "The Tell-Tale Heart".

Most of his stories are written in the first person - at least, the most effective ones are. But you could still break them up for two or more actors to read successive passages. (I don't know how many people you intend to include.)

Wish I lived nearby. Sounds like it might be fun.

Posted By: Majicwrench
Date Posted: 10/23/12 at 1:53pm

There is a short Poe script out there somewhere called by the terrible title "Poe Poe Poe". We took that a few years ago, embelished it quite a bit and made a wonderful show out of it. If I recall the original script was intended as reader theatre.

PS we called it "The Mystery, The Madness, of Poe"

Keith

another PS read about the guy, fascinating stuff.