When Ben Asaykwee created Cabaret Poe, he probably didn’t think it would become a part of the fabric of the Halloween experience in Indianapolis. It has become a local classic, selling out most performances and getting standing ovations for its romantically gothic interpretation of Edgar Allan Poe’s poems and stories. This year’s performances at Theatre on the Square are the strongest yet.
Three characters, Zoilus (Asaykwee), Berenice (Julie Lyn Barber), and Morella (Georganna Smith Wade on some evenings, Renae Stone on others) act out some of Poe’s “greatest hits” — “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Pit and the Pendulum,” “The Black Cat,” and “The Masque of the Red Death.” Shadow (dancer Rebekah Taylor) lurks in the background as death and horror rain down on victims and perpetrators alike.
Poetry recitations are a tricky business as the modern audience has little patience for poetry’s density and metaphor, but poems set to music, such as “The Conquering Worm” and “Annabelle Lee” beautifully capture the emotion of the works. All three characters contribute to the stunning recitation of “The Bells” in perfect cadence. Smith-Wade’s Morella gave a truly moving interpretation of the classic poem “The Raven,” envisioning the narrator as a mother mourning her child, “the lost Lenore,” which brings a whole new cast to the poem.
This is the second year Cabaret Poe has been performed at Theatre on the Square, after years of being in the Irvington Lodge. The larger space affords the cast more movement around a prominent tomb positioned front and center. Two balconies on either side also offer more space to create a looming, foreboding atmosphere.
There are only a few performances left of Cabaret Poe (until Oct. 31); visit qartistry.org to make reservations.
