Nevermore recounts the life of author Edgar Allan Poe through song and movement
( Photo: Sean McLennan )
Unraveling the mystery of the beating heart beneath the floorboards in the Tell-Tale Heart pales in comparison to the life of its author, Edgar Allan Poe, depicted cleverly on stage at the Magnetic North Theatre Festival in June.
Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe added a satirical drama to the dynamic range of Canadian theatre productions that were featured by the festival throughout the capital.
It is perhaps no surprise, then, that the popularity of the theatre festival has been growing exponentially every year, according to Ken Cameron, artistic director of the Magnetic North Theatre Company.
For Nevermore, one of the larger productions showcased on the festival’s opening night June 3, it was the show’s “interesting visual production” which made it a perfect festival fit.
Through the vision of Jonathan Christenson and Edmonton’s Catalyst Theatre Company, Nevermore chronicles the tragic life of Edgar Allan Poe and was commissioned for the festival to celebrate the 200th anniversary of his death.
Christenson, composer and director of Nevermore, said the production aims to blur the lines between fact and fiction, much as Poe did in his own storytelling.
“The work manages to find an unexpected take of a familiar character,” said Christenson.
“It was fostered in an environment where our imaginations are allowed to play, while still staying true to Poe and the man who he was.”
Nevermore will also be one of only three plays showcased in the Magnetic North Cultural Olympiad, a showcase of Canadian and international culture, in 2010 for the Olympic Games in Vancouver.
It’s a fitting choice considering its clever insight, compelling storytelling and vivid portrayal of the troubled writer.
On stage, seven actors with chalk-white faces narrate a gothic fairytale, from the agonizing death of Poe’s mother and young wife to the struggle for acceptance from an unloving step-father. In this seemingly dark world where “good things do not come to those who wait and the best things in life are not free” Poe’s wit is reborn under ominous lighting with creative flare.
The moment the troupe grace the stage, their rhyming verse and choreographed movements are like a work of master puppetry – the enthralling misery intensified through absolute precision. On the background of Bretta Gerecke’s simple set, dramatic sound effects and the strength of the actors’ voices leave little to be desired in theatrical numbers that are worthy of their own soundtrack.
The odd but playful costume design takes on a Tim Burtonesque style of morbid curiosity that plays into the twisted world of tragedy and dramatic comedy created onstage.
The bold approach to style was necessary, said Christenson, in order to create archetypal characters in what he describes as a contemporary variation of the chamber opera tradition.
“Nothing about it should be what you expect to see on the street. We use everything at our disposal to draw people into a dream-like state at the beginning of the show, and to keep them there until the end.”
Nevermore is a haunting but poignant take on the complex life of Edgar Allan Poe, which is a must-see for lovers of dramatic theatre. It will play across the country leading up to its appearance in the Cultural Olympiad in winter 2010.