The George County High School Drama Club will haunt its audience with its newest production “Nevermore: Shadows of Poe” on Thursday, Oct. 30 and Saturday, Nov. 1 at 7:00 p.m.
It will take place in the cafeteria, with doors opening at 6:30. The production consists of seven of Edgar Allan Poe’s works, six of which are poems and one a short story. Thursday’s performance will also function as a dessert theater with an admission fee of $5 a person, Saturday’s is not a dessert theater, and it will be free of charge. It will last an estimated 45 minutes.
Drama teacher Joy Smith first had the idea when she saw a troupe over the summer performing their own collection of Poe stories- and the production has been in the works ever since. While the works depicted were all written by Poe, the script was arranged and translated to stage by Smith, something not usually done in drama.
“It was like putting together a puzzle, because you know you have all of these pieces that you know will fit together, but you have to figure out how,” Smith said.
Almost 20 students make up the cast and crew, each of them given the task of working with the atmosphere and script to unsettle the audience.
“I hope people walk out just a little disturbed,” Smith said.
An important factor to building the tone was the set. It was designed by Smith, aiming for an atmosphere of imbalance and darkness to reflect Poe’s signature storytelling style. She reached out to CTE classes like welding and construction to help build certain elements and spent time going for an “off” feeling.
They have been at work since the start of the semester, overcoming challenges such as difficulty remembering lines. Junior Natalie Hennis, playing Poe, has created a quizlet to help with this, while Senior Lucy Jackson, playing the hostess of the play, the red bell in “The Bell” and the murderer in “The Tell Tale Heart,” records herself reading her lines to help with memorization.
Hennis, Jackson and Smith all agree that getting everyone on the same page will be a challenge.
“My biggest fear is that there may be confusion or that it looks messy, ” Hennis said.
“This play is a little different because we have a darker atmosphere- the biggest challenge is getting across the tone that we want to portray,” Jackson said.
Despite these challenges, the club looks forward to yet another performance. Jackson and Hennis both attribute drama to be a creative outlet that has benefitted them greatly.
“It’s a good place to connect with people like me, and I really appreciate that outlet,” Hennis said.
“I’ve been here since my freshman year, and it’s been an excellent boost of confidence,” Jackson said. “I’ve grown a lot in these four years, and I credit drama for a lot of that.”
All hope for a good turnout and an enjoyable show.
“Come see us,” Smith said. “We won’t disappoint.”
