A Fall Favorite Forevermore

The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe: A Love Story – Oak Park Festival Theatre

Spooky Season is in full-swing and besides corn mazes and pumpkin patches we are really itching for something else to fill the days leading up to Halloween. Maybe you want something creepy, but not too creepy, and a haunted house with inflatable aliens popping out in front of you isn’t quite it either. This play, “The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe: A Love Story”, is what I would call a “sophisticated haunted house”. If you are looking for an upgrade when it comes to your standard fall festivities, this is a must-see show. 

This immersive and interactive experience starts at Oak Park’s Pleasant Home, a living museum and lavish 30 room mansion from the late 19th century. When the doors open, you are guided to a large room with plenty of intricate features that let your eyes wander while you wait. And before you know it, the show starts. From scene to scene you never know which room you will  be led to next, what it will look like, or what story is waiting for you behind the door. 

I think one of the most beautiful aspects of this play, and the most haunting, is how well the cast portrayed madness. Christian Gray, who played Poe, was so expressive you could see the deep, dark terror and turmoil behind his eyes. This madness brought Poe’s poetry to life like I had never before experienced. Will Burdin (The Madman) and Noah Villarreal (The Prisoner) brought a vibrant life to The Tell Tale Heart and The Pit and the Pendulum respectively. Speaking of madness, those scenes were so immersive they had even me lose touch with reality, as I was so consumed by the stories.  

Overall, I highly recommend seeing this show. Now that I have experienced it, I can’t imagine having not. This show is filled with so much life, while the subject matter simultaneously flows around death and melancholy. Go see this performance before it is Nevermore. 

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Rachel Robbins

Performances at 217 Home Ave in Oak Park, IL from October 15 – November 7

Showtimes are: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday – 8 PM Saturday – 1 PM Sunday – 3 PM and 8 PM

General admission tickets are $44. Senior and student discounts are available.

You can find more information at oakparkfestival.com. 

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.