Montana Rep’s “ThePoeProject” visits 46 communities
Published: November 2, 2009
(Photo by Terry Cyr)
Montana Repertory Theatre’s Educational Outreach Tour is bringing “ThePoeProject” to 46 Montana communities this fall.
“ThePoeProject” marks MRT’s third collaboration with nationally famous screenwriter and playwright Ron Fitzgerald – one of the newest writers for the hit TV series “Friday Night Lights” and a writer for the Showtime series “Weeds.”
Deborah Voss, a graduate of The University of Montana’s School of Fine Arts MFA program, directs the production, while recent MFA acting graduates Cody Hyslop and Teralyn Tanner, and BFA graduate Gary Warchola star in the production.
Told in under 50 minutes, the play takes a fascinating look into Edgar Allan Poe’s macabre world as he struggles to invent the detective story. Featuring sections from Poe classics, the play invites the audience to join the writer at his desk as he visits with his own poetic and frightening muses.
This presentation follows in the Montana Rep’s Educational Outreach Tour tradition of bringing staged adaptations of the works of acclaimed historical writers to Montana communities. Regarded as the precursors to modern mystery, Poe’s short stories and poems continue to influence generations of writers and readers today.
The Outreach Tour also makes two workshops available to students. In “From Mystery to Melodrama,” students improvise, write and perform their own mini-mystery melodramas, using stock characters and themes. “Slamming Poe” helps students create performance pieces from popular Poe poems in "slam" style, using sound equipment provided by the tour team.
In November, “ThePoeProject” comes to Eureka, Nov. 1; Columbia Falls, Nov. 2; Troy, Nov. 3; Thompson Falls, Nov. 4; Plains, Nov. 5; Seeley Lake, Nov. 9; Missoula, Nov. 10 and 18; Philipsburg, Nov. 11; Drummond, Nov. 12; Potomac, Nov. 13; Victor, Nov. 16; and Lolo, Nov. 17.
For details, contact tour coordinator Teresa Waldorf at 406-243-2854 or , or visit www.montanarep.org.
