Hosted by Edgar Allan Poe: Evermore

Casual attire

Tickets $10 in advance, $15 at door

SINCE 1981 Jeff Jerome, curator emeritus, formerly with the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum, has been celebrating the birthday of Edgar Allan Poe at his gravesite for people from around the world! He is pleased to announce that the MARYLAND CENTER FOR THE ARTS is sponsoring the 2019 observance of Poe’s 210th birthday celebration! We welcome this outstanding organization to the fabulous world of Poe!

THIS JANUARY 19, 2019, the 210th birthday of Poe, we are proud to host the world premiere of “Dark Descent Within the House of Usher!” A new view (with narration, music and dance) on Poe’s chilling tale of a dark decaying house and the ancient family of Usher that is now dying with it. This story is considered Poe’s finest short story. This unique performance is the brainchild of The Poe Project.

THE POE PROJECT was conceived in 2017 by Peter Minkler and Tim Marrone with the hope of exploring the works of Poe through narration, music and dance. “Dark Descent Within the House of Usher” is their first collaborative project and what they hope, is that this will be the first of many more to come. Together, these professional and extraordinarily talented artists have created something new and exciting to celebrate Poe’s irrefutable genius.

IN CELEBRATION of Poe’s 210th birthday, The Poe Project has chosen Poe’s classic tale of horror and implied incest, The Fall of the House of Usher. Minkler has this to say, “This story has enormous potential for dramatic presentation, given its extraordinary in-depth descriptions that bring the characters and setting terrifyingly to life. Music, also a character within the work, plays an integral role. With Poe, each and every word is important and perfectly chosen thus building anticipation and excitement. Plus, it’s creepy, and Tim and I like creepy!”

IN ADDITION to “Dark Descent Within the House of Usher”, we are pleased to present an excerpt from The Poe Show featuring Tony Tsendeas! Long a staple on the Baltimore theater scene and a long time supporter of the various Poe events, Tony will present a chilling performance of a crazed killer who plots to kill an old man who has never wronged the narrator. The story slowly builds suspense and ends in a tumultuous crushing crescendo of horror! The full version of the Poe Show is an hour long but you will witness The Tell Tale Heart segment from this highly acclaimed Poe presentation! The Tell-Tale Heart is the classic tale of superstition, obsession, and the plotting of a hideous murder! It’s one of Poe’s fun stories for sure!

THE EVENT will begin with the traditional apple cider Toast to Poe based on the Poe Toaster tribute. The Toast to Poe will be presented by Jeff Jerome, curator emeritus, formerly with the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum.

AT THE CONCLUSION of the inside event we will raffle off a Poe gift basket filled with all kinds of Poe related gifts gathered from the Poe Museum in Richmond Virginia and other Poe locations including a $50 gift certificate from Annabel Lee Tavern! A complete inventory will be listed here in a few days. One gift basket will be given away at the conclusion of each performance!

AND NEVER FEAR! We will have a specially designed Poe themed birthday cake which will be given away at each event! These are designed by Jeff Jerome and he should be awarded some kind of prize for creativity and taste!

THE POE TOASTER! After the raffle the audience will abscond to the Poe Monument to witness the arrival of The Poe Toaster! The name “Poe Toaster” was coined by the media since the mysterious person would usually drink from the bottle of cognac as a “toast” to the memory of Poe. The original Poe Toaster stopped in 2009, the Bicentennial of Poe, and hasn’t appeared since then. The Maryland Historical Society and other groups resurrected the unusual tribute with a contest deciding on a new “public” Poe Toaster. One was chosen and true to the original his identity is unknown and he makes his appearance during reasonable hours and not in the wee hours of the morning! He will appear at both events at the conclusion of the interior performances. Hundreds of people have witnessed this person and the tradition continues and survives…

RAVEN BEER, the taste is poetic, will have a booth at both events where you can buy hot Raven Beer gifts for that macabre loved one of yours! Raven Beer has contributed items from their gift shop to be included in the gift basket that will be given away during the event.

THE MARYLAND CENTER FOR THE ARTS acknowledges the WILLIAM G. BAKER, JR. MEMORIAL FUND, creator of the Baker Artist Portfolios, www.BakerArtist.org, for their generous support of this unique and long running Poe Birthday Celebration!

We are indebted to the Maryland Center for the Arts for their support! We are proud to work with this group and share their vision in involving the arts in this world famous tribute to Poe. A beating heartfelt thank you!