Men have called him mad. But the question is not yet settled, whether madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence. What if you could discover for yourself? What if you could spend an evening in rapt attention and questionable company uncovering the enigma that is the master of the macabre? What if you could spend one evening in close company with Edgar Allan Poe as he drinks, gambles, flirts, and muses his way through his delirious mind? Do Or Die Productions now presents you with such an option. Poe’s Last Stanza, written and directed by C.J. Crowe, comes to Hellas Restaurant & Lounge for just two evenings this October, giving audiences all across the DMV a chance to experience Edgar Allan Poe like they’ve never seen him before.
Playwright C.J. Crowe cleverly compiles the iconic Poe of lore and legend with one grounded in obscure historical facts. In this way, banal becomes brilliance. Anyone can take the workings of Edgar Allan Poe and string them together with loose bits of internal monologue serving as the sinuous connection between poem and story. Crowe has woven a historical narrative, not based on any one event or series of events in Poe’s life but rather a tapestry of his character, who he is— the good, the bad, the questionable— and painted a living portrait for the audiences to experience and sample first-hand. The show is immersive and audience-interactive at times, allowing for those in attendance to fully grasp the many faces of Edgar Allan Poe, not those merely portrayed in his works.
The show itself features more than just an actor (2021 performances featuring Do Or Die company member John Kelso in the titular role) reading infamous works, though make no mistake, the iconic and beloved poem “The Raven” is among the works selected for inclusion. There is banter and interaction, intermittently with the audience, but primarily with the fictionalized character of The Barmaid (2021 performances featuring Do Or Die company member Lauren Engler.) A product of Crowe’s imagination, this mysterious Barmaid is saucy and sassy, flirtatious and unyielding, particularly when it comes to the way she handles Edgar Allan Poe as the evening progresses.
Lauren Engler, as the bewitching Barmaid, brings an air of refined poise to the character, and her sharp, well-timed delivery— particularly in her repartee with Mr. Poe— ensnares the audience, furthering their desire to uncover her identity. For the audience is as much in the dark as Poe himself when it comes to how this enigmatic creature fits into his narrative. She is only ever referenced, and directly to him (and those listening to boot), as someone whom he has encountered before. Engler does a fine job of maintaining this air of mystery all throughout her interactions, not overplaying her hand nor letting her mysterious identity burble so subtly that it goes unnoticed. It is a balancing act, one at which Engler succeeds.
As for the titular role, the man wearing the skin of Edgar Allan Poe comes with certain expectations. While John Kelso is not, perhaps, the spitting image of the master of the macabre, (it is after all, live theatre, and with live theatres comes the request for suspension of disbelief) what he lacks in natural-born aesthetic, he more than generously makes up for in his well-rehearsed southern Virginia accent, general physical expression of the character, and overall emotional vulnerability when it comes to various moving bits of the performance. “The Raven” takes new flight every time he works his way through its entirety; the experience is thrilling. Though the audience may find a deeper, more emotional Poe in Kelso’s scene preceding, and the delivery of, “Annabel Lee.”
It is an evening of experience, an evening of mystery and intrigue. One might even say there’s a great adventure to be had. It will be Poe like you’ve never found Poe to be (unless you’ve come to Poe’s Last Stanza with Do Or Die Productions before, and even so, every performance is different, seeing as it is live theatre.) With only two performances this calendar year— Monday October 18th, 2021 & Monday October 25th, 2021 at Do Or Die Productions’ new resident venue, Hellas Restaurant & Lounge— it is strongly encouraged that you book tickets early to be sure and secure your place in the tavern for an evening with Edgar Allan Poe.
Poe’s Last Stanza, a Do Or Die Productions’ show, plays two performances on Monday October 18, 2021 and Monday October 25, 2021 at Hellas Restaurant and Lounge— 8498 Veterans Highway in Millersville, MD. Tickets for the performance of Monday October 18th can be found here, and tickets for Monday October 25th can be found here.
To read the interview with Poe actor John Kelso, click here.
Below is a teaser of Edgar Allan Poe (John Kelso) and The Barmaid (Lauren Engler) during rehearsal for the 2021 production of Poe’s Last Stanza. The video is shot in ‘ambient darkness’ in the Do Or Die Productions’ rehearsal hall, and has a cameo of Rosie The Rehearsal Dog, who oversees all rehearsals. The segment features Poe sharing a portion of his poem, “Annabel Lee.”
