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Edison State Community College
Stagelight
Players Present Festival of Horror: An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe
The Edison Stagelight Players (ESP) will present Festival of Horror: An
Evening with Edgar Allan Poe by Robert Mason and co-directed by Emily
Beisner, Matt Beisner, Chris Garner, and Jennifer Scott. Performances
will be held October 26 through November 5 in the Robinson Theater at
Edison State Community College’s Piqua Campus.
“Festival of Horror: An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe” is an anthology
show that will feature dramatizations of several of Poe’s most
bone-chilling stories, including “The Cask of Amontillado,” “The Oblong
Box,” “The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether,” “The Masque of the
Red Death,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and “The Raven.”
Matt Beisner elaborates on how the show came to be.
“In 2008, we produced Mortal Terror: An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe,
so it only made sense to bring back Poe during its 10-year
anniversary,” said Director Matthew Beisner.
“Chris Garner, who also serves as production designer and co-director
of this production, has never given up on the idea to bring Poe back to
the stage. He put it in my ear every chance he could get during the
past few years. His enthusiasm for the project was unparalleled, and I
couldn't deny that it was a great idea!”
While Poe’s stories make a return to the stage of Edison State, the
show will take on a whole new direction.
“The show is completely different this time because the theme is set as
a dark carnival troupe led by their demented ringmaster. Chris Garner
came up with the idea of the creepy carnival theme, and I was 100% on
board,” said Beisner.
The show will also feature a new set of directors. Matt Beisner is
producing, directing, and wrote a portion of the script. Chris Garner,
Emily Beisner, and Jennifer Scott round out the team of directors.
“The reason we used multiple directors for this production is that it’s
an anthology show with six different Poe stories, and we wanted to give
a fresh look at each one, so we decided to split up the directing
duties.”
Four of the six featured stories are written by Robert Mason and are
part of his compilation entitled An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe. Matt
Beisner wrote the Festival of Horror storyline (Ringmaster) and the
adaptations of The Masque of the Red Death and The Raven.
Chris Garner is directing The Cask of Amontillado and The Oblong Box.
Emily Beisner is directing The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether.
Jennifer Scott is directing The Tell-Tale Heart. Matt Beisner is
directing The Masque of the Red Death, The Raven, and the Festival of
Horror storyline that ties it all together.
In addition to witnessing the work of the talented cast, crew, and
directors of the show, audience members can expect to see one-of-a-kind
costumes.
“Lisa Snider is the costume designer for the production,” added
Beisner. “Lisa brings a passion to the project, unlike anything I’ve
ever seen. She has been instrumental not only in helping to create the
world of our show but also to generate a lot of excitement among the
cast and crew. She attended rehearsals every single week and kept in
constant contact with me since day one. Her original costumes will
truly astonish you.”
Performances will be held Friday, October 26; Saturday, October 27;
Friday, November 2; Saturday, November 3 at 7:30 p.m. each night. A
special matinee performance will be held on Sunday, November 4 at 3:00
p.m.
Tickets for the show are seven dollars for adults, five dollars for
students, and three dollars for seniors and are available for purchase
with cash at the door. Children under five are not permitted into the
theater during the performance. For more information, call 937.778.8600.
Before the performance on Friday, October 26, community members are
invited to attend “The Celebration of the Life of Anne Vaccaro.”
Vaccaro spent 18 years of her career teaching art and producing
exemplary theater at Edison State Community College. A eulogy,
memories, and reflection will be held in the Vaccaro-Myers Gallery and
lounge area at 3 p.m. and a buffet dinner will follow at 5 p.m. in the
Pavilion adjacent to the Atrium. The Edison Stagelight Players will
then present “Festival of Horror: An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe” in
her memory. Those interested in attending the celebration are asked to
RSVP to David Myers at
dmyers@edisonohio.edu<mailto:dmyers@edisonohio.edu>.
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