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In this episode of Poe Theatre on the Air, we’re doing something a bit different – a reading of Chapter One of the book “Emma,“ by Jane Austen. It’s fitting that we take this little side trip. You might be surprised to learn that Baltimore has among the largest Jane Austen appreciation societies in this hemisphere. The two writers each famously satirized society, and Austen even gently poked fun at the gothic writing genre in her work Northanger Abbey. One of our Baltimore theatre friends, Everyman Theatre, is producing a stage performance of Emma, running through June 14. Tickets can be found on the Everyman web site at EverymanTheatre.org We hope you’ll join with us to support live theatre in Baltimore and around the world. Emma was read and produced by Alex Zavistovich. Poe Theatre in the Air theme by Gregg Martin.

This episode of Poe Theatre on the Air presents one Poe’s comedic stories, “Some Words with a Mummy,” sponsored in part by a generous donation from Kurt Gustafson and family. The story recounts a conversation with a mummy revived in modern times, and how modern accomplishments don’t exactly measure up against the achievements of ancient Egyptians. “Some Words with a Mummy” was written by Kris Faatz, and directed by Alex Zavistovich, with the voices of Adam R. Adkins, Sarah Bella Joyce, and Alex Zavistovich. Poe Theatre on the Air theme by Gregg Martin, with special Space Fanfare music courtesy of humanoide9000 (Space Fanfare - Cinematic Orchestral Music [Star Trek Inspired] by – https://freesound.org/s/744049/ – License: Attribution 4.0). As a reminder, May 16th is the fifth annual 24-hour Doomsday Edgar Allan Poe readathon, with guest readers including state delegates, city councilmembers and WYPR’s own Maxie Jackson. Streamed on YouTube and hosted by In the Dark Circus Arts in Baltimore’s historic Pigtown neighborhood, this year’s event received a certificate of recognition from Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.

This special Valentine’s Day installment of Poe Theatre on the Air features Valentine’s Day and love poems from Poe — and a lesser known poem to Poe from his wife. We begin with a real treat. British actor and presenter Helen Atkinson Wood is back. Famous for originating the role of Mrs. Miggins on BBC’s Black Adder, Ms. Wood can be heard on previous episodes of Poe Theatre on the Air reciting “The Bells” and “Shadow, a Parable” We’re grateful to have her back, and we hope you enjoy her readings of the poems “A Valentine” and “To Helen.” Poems: · A Valentine · To Helen (version 1) · To Helen (version 2) · Annabel Lee · A Valentine from VC Poe to EA Poe

Written by Jade Greene and performed and recorded live at the Poe Room of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, “The Spectacles” is one of Poe’s comedies (yes, he wrote comedies!). In this story, a vain young man changes his name to try to inherit a fortune from a distant relative. He falls in love with a seemingly beautiful woman at the opera, but because he refuses to wear his glasses, he gets mixed up in a case of mistaken identity. Featuring the voices of Adam R. Adkins, Bri Caelleigh, Sarah Bella Joyce, Jade Greene, John Sadowsky, and Alex Zavistovich. Directed by Alex Zavistovich, with original music composition, sound design and production by James D. Watson. Made possible in part by The Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, Creative Baltimore Fund.

In this story, the physically disabled “Hop-Frog,” a victim of a war, is made to work for a cruel and brutish dictator. Together with his tiny love Tripetta, Hop-Frog sets the stage for a comeuppance for the king.

Set during the Spanish Inquisition, this intense and pulse-pounding radio drama tells the story of an unnamed prisoner forced to choose between several lethal options when sentenced to death. Written by TJ Perkins and produced by John Walker, featuring the voice of Alex Zavistovich. Sponsored in part by the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, Creative Baltimore Fund, and RavenBeer.

Three years ago, The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre was invited to take part in a project called “The Media of Mediumship,” with the University of Stirling in Scotland and the University of East Anglia in England. Poe Theatre’s Artistic Director Alex Zavistovich performed in and co-produced a three-part radio drama series written by UEA Professor Richard J. Hand, based on fiction held in the Harry Price Library in the University of London’s Senate House Library. The programs were first heard on the BBC as “The Adventures of Zachariah Jaeger” and are a continuing part of the curated Media of Mediumship project. The series subsequently received recognition in UEA’s Innovation and Impact Awards for Outstanding Social or Cultural Impact. This first installment of the series, “The Beast in the Caves,” was based on the short story “The Terror of Blue John Gap,” by Arthur Conan Doyle. A range of materials for the Media of Mediumship project can be found on YouTube at https://youtube.com/@themediaofmediumship4182?si=gtjM6xjw7AgbwDEJ

Hear the third and final story in Edgar Allan Poe’s Auguste Dupin trilogy of mysteries! Dupin and his assistant help the Paris police find a stolen letter, which is being used for blackmail at the highest levels of French government. The Purloined Letter script was written and directed by Alex Zavistovich. Music and sound effects by James D. Watson, featuring the voices of Adam R. Adkins, Bri Caelleigh, Jimi Kinstle, Melanie Kurstin, Jennifer Restak, and Alex Zavistovich. Here are links to the first two of Poe’s Dupin mysteries: “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”: https://www.wypr.org/podcast/poe-theatre-on-the-air/2024-01-19/the-murders-in-the-rue-morgue “The Mystery of Marie Roget”: https://www.wypr.org/podcast/poe-theatre-on-the-air/2024-08-13/the-mystery-of-marie-roget “The Purloined Letter” was recorded live in the Poe Room of The Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, MD, and made possible by The Enoch Pratt Free Library, DC Dogs, and The Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts.

This Halloween special edition of Poe Theatre on the Air features two readings of the works of Edgar Allan Poe: “The Masque of the Red Death” and “Shadow (a Parable).” Published in 1842, “The Masque of the Red Death” has been adapted numerous times, most notably by Roger Corman in a 1964 film starring Vincent Price. “Shadow (a Parable)” was written by Poe during his time in Baltimore and published in 1835. The story is read by British actor Helen Atkinson-Wood, best known for her work in the BBC series “Blackadder.” The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre on the Air is sponsored in part by Baltimore’s own RavenBeer, and by DC Dogs, a multimedia performing arts troupe. Special thanks to the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, and the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum in Baltimore. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The second of Poe’s Auguste Dupin detective stories, “The Mystery of Marie Roget” follows Dupin and his biographer as they unravel the case of a missing perfume worker, found dead in the river. Written by James Comtois, and directed by Alex Zavistovich. Music and sound effects by James D. Watson, featuring the voices of Adam R. Adkins, David Hanauer, Jimi Kinstle, Melanie Kurstin, Jennifer Restak, and Alex Zavistovich. “The Mystery of Marie Roget” was recorded live in the Poe Room of The Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, MD, and made possible by The Enoch Pratt Free Library, DC Dogs, Avaya, and The Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last year The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre was invited by The Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theatre Festival to adapt for the stage an early and little-known story by Williams, “The Eye That Saw Death.” This is the reading and sound design for Poe Theatre’s movement-based piece. With themes echoing Poe’s story “The Tell-Tale Heart,” our production of “The Eye That Saw Death” was an undeniable hit of the festival. The Poe Theatre has been invited back to Provincetown this year to mount a whole new production, titled “Flight.” We’ll keep you all up to date as we get closer to our performances. In the meantime, enjoy this theatrically-enhanced reading of “The Eye that Saw Death,” performed by the Poe Theatre’s own Jennifer Restak, with sound design by Alex Zavistovich. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Murders in the Rue Morgue Recorded live at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon, The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre presents Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” streaming on WYPR just in time for the author’s 215th  birthday. “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” introduced readers everywhere to C. Auguste Dupin, Poe’s brilliant French detective. The story created the detective genre and was the inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Adapted for radio by Caroline Bennett and directed by Alex Zavistovich, this live recording features both live and recorded sound effects, with original music and sound design by James D Watson. With  the voices of  Adam R Adkins, David Hanauer, Jimi Kinstle, Melanie Kurstin, Jennifer Restak, and Alex Zavistovich. The Murders in the Rue Morgue was made possible by the Enoch Pratt Free Library, RavenBeer, DC Dogs, the law offices of Faegre Drinker, the technology company Avaya, LINK Strategic Partners and the Baltimore Office of Promotion and The Arts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we celebrate the anniversary of Poe’s well-known poem “The Bells,” written in May 1848 and published posthumously in 1849. The Bells describes the cycle of adult life, from excitement to joy, to fear and ultimately to the sorrow and somberness of death.Our celebration today features a performance from Baltimore’s Charm City Bronze Handbell Ensemble, and concludes with a very special reading of the The Bells by the renowned British actor Helen Atkinson Wood.Founded in 2013 by Artistic Director Beau Lochte, the Charm City Bronze Handbell Ensemble’s arrangement of Erik Satie’s "Gymnopedie Number 1" features a distinctive sound of bells ringing then being submerged in bowls filled with water, creating a dizzying "bending" of the pitch.Our featured performance is a reading of The Bells by noted British actor Helen Atkinson Wood. Ms. Wood is an actor and presenter best known for creating the character of Mrs. Miggins, in the classic BBC comedy “Blackadder.” A West End stage actor and presenter as well, Helen Atkinson Wood has been twice nominated by the British Comedy Awards as Best Female Comedy Performer. She is also an award-winning travel writer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season One Finale! This story has been adapted into several international motion pictures (including one as recently as 2008), and was the musical subject of the world-famous progressive rock band The Alan Parsons Project. It is widely applauded as among the first works in American fiction to criticize the poor treatment of the mentally ill in the 1800s. As one of Poe’s best-known satirical efforts, the original story is available unedited in audiobook form on a wide range of digital platforms around the world. In 1903, The Theatre du Grand Guignol in Paris produced a gruesome black comedy adaptation of this famous and noteworthy Edgar Allan Poe story, which the author titled, The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether. The stage play was known in France as The System of Doctor Goudron and Professor Plume. We’ve translated this play from the original French, and adapted it specifically for audio drama (the original title is retained in this recording.)We’ve called back some of our past season’s asylum characters in this one. Can you identify the episodes and any lines from those earlier programs? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Madeleine Usher is alive, after all. In this episode, we listen back to the story of how she was mistakenly entombed, and how that was the beginning of the end for the Ushers and their ancestral home. Also, Doctor Mallard meets a stranger interested in learning more about the asylum. Only one more episode before this season comes to an end! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.