Stray Dog Theatre’s “Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe” is a haunting and eerie production just in time for Halloween

A fictional account of the tormented life of Edgar Allan Poe is the current offering at Stray Dog Theatre. Jonathan Christenson’s “Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe” was first produced in 2009 in Canda. It then went on to play at festivals, and in both London and New York.

Some have described experimentally Avant-garde "Nevermore” as rock opera or a musical. It is part poetry reading and part musical theater. Christenson eerily underscored the poetic libretto that reads like an extended version of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” with its simplistic every other line rhyming pattern. About a dozen songs are interspersed throughout that are sung very well by the ensemble of seven actors. There are some solos, but the majority are handled by the entire cast.

Stray Dog Theatre has produced a ghoulish and artistically interesting production of Christenson’s “Nevermore” with a talented troupe of actors. The cast includes Drew Mizell as Poe, with Michael Cox, Heather Fehl, Stephen Henley, Kevin O’Brien, Dawn Schmid, and Sara Rae Womack credited as the Players.

The cast emotively delivers Christensen’s poetic script with haunting patter. Each Player seems to be lurking nearby to step-in to pick up the ongoing poetic reading or pantomime the actions described by the narration. The actors do not miss a beat, stepping in and out of character and filling roles as Poe’s parents, siblings, and love interests.

Director, Scenic Designer, and Co-Sound Designer Justin Been created a monochromatic macabre world to convey the fictional events that paint the enigmatic poet as a deeply disturbed man. His collaboration with his well-rehearsed actors and technical teams has created a visually striking, multi-sensory theatrical experience.

Been and Wade Staples’ sound design is a constant spooky auditory presence. The balance between actors, the track underscoring the poetry readings, music, and perfectly time sound effects all induce auricular skittishness in the audience. The sound design compliments Tyler Duenow’s spectral lighting design and Been’s visual effects.

Sarah Gene Dowling’s gothic black and white costume designs are stunning. Her use of infrequent pops of gold and red graphically enhances the storytelling. Her structured tailoring has both an elegant and haunting quality. The actors’ pale pancake make-up gives each player a ghoul-like quality that is reminiscent of the Disney cast members working the Haunted Mansion attraction.

Been’s blocking and Maggie Nold’s unusual choreography add to the supernatural feel of the production. The angular sharp movements create a surreal and nightmarish kinetic energy. Been, his actors, and his technical crew have created a polished and palpably ominous environment to tell Christenson’s account of Edgar Allan Poe’s life.

Christenson’s script is mostly an oration with little dialogue between characters. The lengthy poetic narrations and the rhyming scheme are repetitive. It becomes a bit one-note and monotonous. Thankfully having six different actors delivering the lines creates some variation, but too little to make Christenson’s book absorbing. His musical numbers are interesting, but the score lacks memorability. The narrative has a few interesting plot points, which will not be revealed here to avoid spoilers, but too few to keep the story from slowing and becoming mundane.

This is a situation where a director, the actors, and technical teams squeeze as much as possible from a so-so theatrical asset. Stray Dog’s production of “Nevermore” is visually dramatic. It is well acted and sung by the talented group of actors in the ensemble. There’s obvious chemistry between Mizell (Poe) and the other actors playing his parents, siblings, and love interests. They have created a piece of theatre that is eerie, haunting, and mildly disturbing, even with the uneven script and score.

Stray Dog Theatre’s production of “Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe” continues at The Tower Grove Abbey through November 2, 2024. For more information visit straydogtheatre.org.