Poe Double Feature: Plays The Fall of the House of Usher and The Tell-Tale Heart
H Street Playhouse (1365 H Street, NE Washington, DC 20002)
- Full Price:
- $25.00 - $35.00
- Our Price:
- $12.50 - $21.00*
* Additional fees apply.
All offers for Poe Double Feature have expired.
The last date listed for Poe Double Feature was Monday October 31, 2011 / 8:00pm.
Currently at H Street Playhouse:
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- Full Price:
- $25.00
- Our Price:
- $12.50
This dark, visceral retelling of J. M. Barrie's fairy play explores the original ideas and inspirations behind the story as you've never seen before. Far removed from the Disney version of the story, No Rules Theatre Company seeks to unlock the deeper mysteries buried inside the fantasy masterpiece. Tackling child psychology and the power of imagination, this new Peter Pan becomes a dangerous game of make believe. Experience the iconic fantasy from a revealing perspective with this world premiere production. Learn More
Goldstar Member Tips
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Darren on What to Wear
Small theater, very casual
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MissMeghann on Where to Eat
Wine bar right next door!
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MissMeghann on Where to Park
Park around the corner. area isnt the greatest.
Goldstar Member Reviews
DCQuickwit
I was highly disappointed in this production of Poe's works. Based on the actor's bios, I expected a highly entertaining and engaging performance, but instead I watched a semi-campy, superficial production that insulted the audience's intelligence and appreciation for dark theater. The pantomiming that was done throughout the performance was laughable making me unable to appreciate the play. I was not the only one who left after the first production, which shows I was not the only one disappointed with what was seen on stage.Written on Nov 23 2009
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Lisa
I really enjoyed both performances. I am a huge fan of Poe and I found the first performance (The Fall of the House of Usher) an interesting interpretation of the characters in Poe's story. It was subtly funny yet still held on to the eeriness as the story was written. The Tell-Tale Heart gave great expression and interpretation of the story with a single actor.Written on Nov 30 2009
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Belphanior
The theater itself is small and in a shady part of DC. I didn't see much in the way of parking, and I would be a little worried about leaving my car unattended in that neighborhood anyway. It is also a long walk to the nearest Metro. I recommend taking a taxi there, as I did.Written on Nov 23 2009
The lobby of the theater is small and modest. The staff offered some snacks and drinks, but expensive. I wouldn't recommend getting anything anyway because the theater itself is very small and intimate. Anyone breaking open a bag of snacks would instantly annoy everyone else.
The production must have a low budget, as the stage was very austere: just three chairs; smoke machine; stage lights; and some sheer, white curtains against a black background. The sound effects were pretty good though, and helped to make the acting more authentic.
The first show was the Fall of the House of Usher. The actors were good, though a little over the top, and the dialogue was scripted weirdly, specifically the tempo at which the actors spoke at times, and often with strange pitch and annunciation. I suppose it was done to create an ominous atmosphere, but often I found it just silly. There was a mix of performance art within the acting, I suppose to symbolize the closeness of the brother & sister, but again I just found it weird. This was not a conventional production at all. If one has an open mind and no preconceptions of what to expect, one might find this entertaining. For me, it was merely okay.
The second show was a man reciting The Tell-Tale Heart. He did a good job of telling the story and keeping the interest of the audience. He possessed excellent diction.
Between the shows there was a 10 minute intermission to give people time for a bathroom break. There was one set of bathrooms behind the stage the audience could access. Both shows were over in about 90 minutes. Overall it was entertaining, but my weird-meter was definitely pegged. Though for the price of the tix through this site, it was worth going to see.
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Wandering Star
We enjoyed it very much. The staging of the Fall of the House of Usher was very dramatic but was rather relentless so we were ready for it to end. It could have used a little more variety in tone. The Telltale Heart was well done. The small theater is very intimate and it was our first time in that neighborhood. I recommend Sticky Rice for dinner...Written on Nov 14 2009
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More Information About Poe Double Feature
Website
Description
The Fall of the House of Usher (1840) is "a fantastical tale of the impossible that manifests the crumbling nature of Roderick Usher's inner decay….The moor's pestilential environment, the cry of the wind, ancient things groaning under the weight of age. A death, a resurrection". (Poe and Performance, Berkoff). Poe’s masterful story of insanity and premature burial lures us into a surreal and occult dream world, blurring the boundaries between life and death, body and soul, object and subject, beauty and decay where the supernatural is felt with traumatic intensity.
The Tell-Tale Heart (1834) is Poe’s masterfully composed tale of murder, a dramatic monologue by a murderer creating the utmost suspense by re-counting and reliving the deed - at the same time a psychological study of an abnormal consciousness.
Edgar Allan Poe (Author)
One of the most fascinating representatives of the “American Renaissance” and a prototype of the writer as Romantic outcast, Poe was born in Boston in 1809. Poe’s essays The Philosophy of Composition (1846) and The Poetic Principle (1850) are considered pivotal texts for modern literary theory. Poe's life has attracted as much attention as his writing, and he has been variously pictured as a sado-masochist, dipsomaniac, drug addict and manic depressive. In 1836 he married his then 14 year old cousin, Virginia, who died of tuberculosis eleven years later. Devastated by her death, Poe lamented: "I became insane, with long intervals of sanity. During these fits of absolute unconsciousness...I drank...my enemies referred the insanity to the drink, rather than the drink to the insanity".
Steven Berkoff (Playwright/Adaptor)
Born in 1937, Steven Berkoff is a British actor, director and playwright. His memorable villainous roles in "A Clockwork Orange” "Octopussy" and "Rambo" made him a popular film actor. He is also a very prolific playwright, mostly known for his stage adaptations of European classics of Kafka and Aeschylus. Other Berkoff plays include East, West, Sink the Belgrano!, and Decadence. His provocative “in your face” performance style have made Berkoff a much discussed and controversial figure in contemporary British (and European) Theatre.
About the Ticket Supplier: SCENA Theatre
Scena Theatre (with the possible exception of the Kennedy Center) is Washington's premier institution bringing the best in international theatre to Washington DC and stimulating cultural exchange between local and international theatre artists. Founded in 1987 under the leadership of Artistic Director Robert McNamara and Managing Director Amy Schmidt, Scena produces an annual season of plays, a Workshop Series aimed at developing new work from around the world, special events, and the Washington International Theatre Festival, staged each year at venues throughout the city.