Happy Birthday Edgar

Today is Edgar Allan Poe's 305th birthday!

I offer my experience with the Master of the Macabre as a tribute of sorts.

A bit of history first....

In the fall of 2010, I was privileged to be a part of the show "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" with Reedy Point Players of Delaware City, DE. I was cast as the Headless Horseman and it was a real treat to play that role. The show was an original work by a first-time director who, unfortunately, had more training writing for film than for the stage. It was an interesting part, but a also difficult show. Three weeks into the rehearsal process, the cast discovered that our writer/director was adding a third act. And had not yet completed the script.

And in the words of the poet, all hell broke loose....

Basically, with six weeks 'til the opening I, along with a few other members of the Reedy Point Players company, had to corner him, duct tape him to a chair, and get him to complete SOMETHING so that we would be able to perform it on opening night. A script was finished, the show was performed. I count it as one of the more... interesting experiences I've had in theatre.

Despite this, I still was interested in directing a show for RPP. The idea of directing a Halloween-based work was what I was looking for, which lead me right smack into the works of Mr. Poe. I had staged a dramatic reading of some of his works a few years' previous for a Halloween event, so I knew what I wanted to do... I just could not find a script. I had reviewed the offerings of several script houses, but not found anything that really spoke to me. Most were smaller one-acts of his individual stories. I was looking for a full-length play.

In May of 2011, I decided that I would propose a play for a fall production in 2012. This would give me the time I needed, almost 18 months in total, to come up with something better. Or in a worst case scenario, WRITE something better.

How little did I know how the fates would conspire against me.

About a month later in June, I was out on a lunch break when the my email on my smartphone started to blow-up. The show proposed for fall 2011 was in trouble. The director, citing family issues, had backed out. There were a few messages back and forth between members as to what could be done. Then I saw the email that made my blood run cold....

"Let's just see if David wants to move his show forward...."

**GASP**

I quickly called Melanie and told her what was going on and what I was thinking. I would write the show, then direct it. I respectfully asked her permission to do so knowing that the question of moving my show forward was coming, and probably coming quickly. She said, "If you think you can do it... Just DO it."

I thanked her and hung up.

The very next call came from the President of RPP, asking if I would be interested in moving my show forward. I told her, yes I could do it. We exchanged a few pleasantries, asking about friends, family members and  various other theatre related things, then ended the call.

As I hung up, I realized I had just committed to directing a show that I did not have a script for. My 18-month plan was shot and I now had 5 months to come up with a show. A show that I had not even started WRITING yet.

I decided to make the best of it, and started to work creating what was to become "Edgar Allan Poe: The Masquerade". I still had the sides I had created for the evening of Poe done previously, and used that as my starting point. After two weeks of creative, yet frantic, adaptation work, I had a rough first act complete. It was then that I met with the board to make them aware of my plan.

Upon initial presentation, most were... politely sceptical. All were shaking their heads....

After all, hadn't the company just gone through a similar situation just a few months previous with "Sleepy Hollow"? I assured them that this would be different. I offered a rigid timeline for completion of the draft, and a date for a first rough read-thru. All before they would give permission.

Then pulled out my ace... copies of "Edgar Allan Poe: The Masquerade", Act One...

The affect was magic. With a bit of trepidation, they decided to endorse my made plan. Three weeks later, I had a working, two act script at the read-thru. The overall feedback was positive, other than it being a bit long, with the reading taking about two hours. I was given permission to hold auditions in mid-July, with performance dates in October around Halloween.

It was one of the most amazing and productive periods of my life. I had an amazing group of collaborators in my cast, who took to the idea of originating characters and dialog from a work-in-progress very easily. Where at first they were hesitant, they free gave opinions and ideas as we moved forward. I looked to them for suggestions throughout the rehearsals to bring the work to life.

And it worked.

The length was tackled slowly over the rehearsals we staged that fall. As I switched gears to become the director, I found myself asking my cast, "Who WROTE this crap?", before returning to the rough draft, often with a chainsaw, to bring  the script down to a more palatable form. By the time the show was ready for performance, it was lighter by almost a full 30 minutes. While working over the script I also contacted the group Nox Arcana, who graciously allowed me permission to use their music as background and mood for the show. I had a great cast, a good script... and when we opened, a truly frightening show. A show that managed to scare quite a few audience members. One co-worker of a cast member complained of nightmares after seeing the show. The response was a confident, "... then, we did our job!"

I am very proud of the show and the people I had the opportunity to work with. A better group of collaborators I'll probably never find. I hope have it performed again, someday soon. Til then, I offer my thanks to my cast and crew and especially Edgar Allan Poe on his 205th Birthday.

Until the next time the show is staged show, I'll just...

EXIT, PURSUED BY A BEAR