Ann-Claude Rakotoniaina, Lena Valenti/Photo: Tyler Core
If Tiny Tim is the spirit of Christmas then a repetitive raven is the true specter of Halloween. This is the reason why the fall season typically brings some celebration of Edgar Allan Poe. Theatre Above the Law upholds this tradition with their remounted production of Christina Lepri’s “Poe.”
Set in a cabaret bar with a preening raven (Michael Dalberg) as master of ceremonies, “Poe” offers lightly reimagined versions of some of its namesake’s greatest stories as well as several poems, including, of course, “The Raven.” There is a lot of talent in this production. Emily Pazik and Ann-Claude Rakotoniania are especially impressive in a variety of roles. Director Tony Lawry’s staging incorporates many nice touches, such as the use of a violin at the onset of “The Masque of the Red Death.”
In general, the production is at its best when exploring Poe’s better-known works. “The Tell-Tale Heart” is performed especially well, with Austyn Williamson’s narration steadily building to a point of madness. Other offerings deviate greatly from the source material to the point where they appear curiously detached from their creator. I also question the wisdom of bringing so many of his stories to stage in one sitting, as they appear uneven in their delivery, with “The Fall of the House of Usher” especially long in the tooth.
Fans of Edgar Allan Poe will likely enjoy seeing familiar characters convincingly brought to life on stage. Those with only a passing interest in the great author, however, might better enjoy a more stripped-down, less visual production with more focus on the author’s distinctive voice. It’s this voice, buried deep in Maryland, that resonates today. (Noel Schecter)
Theatre Above the Law, 1439 West Jarvis, (773)655-7197, theatreatl.org, $22. Through November 17.
Related Stories
That's So Raven: A Review of The Gentleman Caller at Raven Theatre Language-heavy, plot-light and emotionally fraught, this world premiere from Philip Dawkins finds an ideal home at Raven Theatre.- Family Matter: A Review of Iron Kisses at Theatre Above the Law This two-hander lays bare the bonds of siblings, forged in the fire of parental expectations.
- A Macabre Tale: A Review of Nevermore–The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe at Black Button Eyes Productions Black Button Eyes Productions delivers a macabre antidote to saccharine holiday fare with the Chicago premiere of this musical based on the life of Edgar Allan Poe.
- Love Knows No Law: A Review of Wedding Band, A Love/Hate Story in Black and White at The Artistic Home A timely revival of Alice Childress' 1966 play about interracial love in the early twenty-first century American south.
- Shades of Things to Come: A Review of Not About Nightingales at Raven Theatre RECOMMENDED “Beware of all those in whom the urge to punish is strong,” said Nietzsche. That’s all you need to know about Boss Whalen, the sleazily sadistic prison warden in Tennessee Williams’ “Not About Nightingales,” and also about the system he represents. “Nightingales” is early and atypical Williams, a 1930s proletarian drama that’s more expressly political and less lyrical than his…
- Dog Days: A Review of Yen at Raven Theatre Anna Jordan's play, receiving its local premiere at Raven, examines toxic masculinity in terms of maternal care and its absence.
