Dawidziak play at Akron Library

Akron-Summit County Public Library To Host the Premiere Performances of The Largely Literary Theater Company's "The Tell-Tale Play" A Two-act Collection of Poems and Stories by Edgar Allan Poe

The Akron-Summit County Public Library will host the world premiere of the Largely Literary Theater Company's "The Tell-Tale Play," atwo-act collection of poems and stories by Edgar Allan Poe. Arranged anddirected by former Beacon Journal staffer Mark Dawidziak, the presentation will be staged in the MainLibrary auditorium at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 20.

The production then moves to the Solon Center for the Arts for a7:30 p.m. performance on Friday, Oct. 28.

Designed for high school students and older, the Akron-Summit Library performance is free and open to the public. Three popular area actors ­ Tom Stephan, Sara Showman and Alex J. Nine ­ interpretPoe's works, telling the audience along the way about the writer's short but eventful life and career.

Perhaps best known for its acclaimed three-person version of CharlesDickens' "A Christmas Carol," the Largely Literary Theater Company specializes in faithful adaptations of great literary works. Its dualmission is to promote interest in literature and live theater.

Three of Poe's classic short stories are presented in "The Tell-Tale Play": "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Cask of Amontillado" and "The Masque of the Red Death." Also included are three of his major poems: "The Raven," "Annabel Lee" and "The Bells." Other poems in the play are

"Alone," "Eldorado," "Dreamland" and "Spirits of the Dead."

The set for the Largely Literary Theater Company production is relatively simple. The lights go up on three lecterns ­ one covered in rich velvety material ­ arranged before a succession of black curtains. There are three chairs set behind the lecterns, with assorted pillars, candelabra and gothic set pieces establishing the mood. Thethree actors enter, dressed in period costumes, acknowledge each other,open their scripts, then Showman steps forward, stopping down stage andcenter, to welcome the audience.

Before the first offering, Stephan's interpretation of "The Tell-Tale Heart," the three actors take a moment or two to tell the audience about "Poe's brief, brilliant and tortured life." Born inBoston on January 19, 1809, Poe "spent only 40 years on this planet,"yet he "found the time to create the detective story and write a couple dozen of the most influential horror stories ever put to paper."

The popular image of Poe is that of a doomed genius, and thestereotype, we learn, certainly has its roots in reality. But the collected works of Poe span seventeen volumes and include not onlypoems, terror tales and mystery stories, but satire, essays, literary criticism and comic pieces.

"The Tell-Tale Play," however, celebrates Poe as the master of the macabre, making it an ideal Halloween theater treat. Parking is free inthe High/Market garage if you arrive after 6 p.m. For more information,contact the Library's Marketing Department at 330-643-9091.

The Solon Center for the Arts is located at 6315 SOM Center Road,Solon. General admission for the Oct. 28 performance is $12; $10 forseniors and students. For information on the Solon performance, call440-337-1400 or visit solonarts.org.

The Largely Literary Theater Company was founded by Dawidziak andShowman in late 2001. In addition to "A Christmas Carol" (now in itsfourth year) and "The Tell-Tale Play," the company's repertoire includesan adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's "A Child's Garden of Verses"

and a two-act collection of Mark Twain sketches, "The Reports of MyDeath Are Greatly Exaggerated."

Dawidziak, the company's artistic director, is the TV critic at the Cleveland Plain Dealer. His nine published books include a novel, "GraveSecrets," and such non-fiction works as "Mark My Words: Mark Twain on Writing," "The Columbo Phile: A Casebook," "The Barter Theatre Story:

Love Made Visible," "The Night Stalker Companion" and "Horton Foote's

The Shape of the River: The Lost Teleplay About Mark Twain."

For bookings, contact Dawidziak and Showman at the Largely LiteraryTheater Company: 330-923-8350 or at hlgrouch@megsinet.net

Click on the headline to see company bios.