High-Concept Haunted Poe

Brat Production's Haunted Poe, which everyone is talking about, is more of a literary haunted house than site-specific theater. There are embedded performances throughout, including a Punch puppet show, a song sung from the grave, and 2 short films, experienced either through a chink in a stone wall or through the windows of a Victorian train car. The audience moves through the theatrical installations which are cleverly layed out and circle back to a central room, where Poe, Virginia and her Aunt pass a pleasant evening playing cards and reading. Outside that conventional space, Poe's visions are realized, bringing home the striking discrepancy between acceptable Victorian norms of thought and behavior and what was actually happening inside Edgar's tortured head. A further insight the evening brings home is just how pervasive Poe works are today. Other than Shakespeare, it is difficult to think of a writer whose stories are well-known enough to provide the basis for short, interactive performances given without introduction or scene-setting. A dreadfully pleasant way to spend an evening.