RADIO DRAMA REVIEWS ONLINE

The Death of Edgar Allan Poe, inspired by Matthew Mercier

Home
AUTHORS A-J
AUTHORS K-R
AUTHORS S-Z
DRAMATISTS A-Z
Contact Us

Download The Death of Poe from The Truth APM

The Truth APM, 18 October 2012
 
Edgar Allan Poe continues to fascinate listeners and readers of all ages, over a century and a half after his death.  A recent anthology ADAPTING POE (Palgrave, 2012), includea a variety of contributions looking at the way in which his stories have been adapted in films, television, popular music, video games and graphic novels.  A trawl through the internet will yield some wonderful radio adaptations (some of which I have previously reviewed on Radio Drama Reviews).
 
Produced to celebrate Hallowe'en, The Death of Edgar Allan Poe is based on the experiences of listener Matthew Mercier, the caretaker of the author's last home.  With the help of Truth APM regulars Ed Herbstman, Chet Siegel and Louis Kornfeld, producer/director Jonathan Mitchell imagines what Poe's last hours might have been like. 
 
It would be unfair of me to reveal too much of the plot, but suffice to say that the drama involves drunkenness, violence and haunting beyond the grave.  Poe's stories often depict characters reaching back from the dead to haunt those who are still living; this is precisely what happens in Mitchell's drama.  Those who want to find out more about the conflicting theories surrounding Poe's death can find ample resources online.
 
This production, as ever with The Truth APM's repertoire, was crisply written and convincingly vocalized.