Nevermore, Edgar Allan Poe, The Final Mystery
at Briar Woods High School

Reviewed on November 15, 2013

Erin Fiore
West Springfield HS
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Loudoun

Nevermore! Edgar Allen Poe's Final Mystery, written by Julian Wiles, sets out to answer the question that has haunted Poe enthusiasts for over a century: What really happened to Edgar Allen Poe during the missing five days of his life that immediately preceded his death? This play provides an answer which lies within a twisting plot that combines beings of heaven, hell, and Poe's own vivid imagination, as the tortured author slips deeper and deeper into a maelstrom of confusion and madness.

Briar Wood's production is carried by Brandon Diaz in the character of Poe, who from his first slowly lurching entrance was the focal point of the show. He begins the show in a drunken stupor, stumbling slightly across the deck of the ship that he had boarded, headed for New York. As the play progresses, however, his stumbling turns to fearful trembling and his once morose and melancholy demeanor becomes frantic and panicked as everything he thought was reality disappears before his eyes. At one point, he loses himself entirely in a recitation of his famed poem "The Raven" and ends the poem in a fury, terrifying the fellow ship inhabitants who were in his audience. Diaz's performance wonderfully portrayed the poet's tortured mind, and his active engagement in all events unfolding on the stage made him a go-to for the audience's eye.

The technical design of the show was simple as far as the set went, but what was created was used effectively and nothing was put on the stage for the sole purpose of simply taking up space. Additionally, instead of relying on a black curtain to provide a background to the show, the crew created a massive wall structure, with a large flying raven silhouette portrayed prominently in the center, its wings surpassing the top of the wall and reaching up towards the roof of the stage. This wall also contained two hidden scrim areas, expertly backlit at one point to portray shadowy couples waltzing in the distance. Briar Woods also employed a turntable platform which, if slightly noisy, allowed for the hidden movement of set pieces and the easy transition from one scene to the next. The opening montage of the show, a flashback to Edgar meeting his first love, Annabel Lee, is depicted using this turntable, which moved fluidly from a sandy beach setting where the lovers first kissed to Annabel's deathbed as she lay dying of fever with her father and Edgar by her side.

The production was ambitious, adding not one, but two dance numbers; the most memorable took place during the ball of the Red Death in one of Poe's many nightmarish hallucinations. The dancers, clad in masks and garish colors, waltzed in waves across the stage, at several points lifting the female partners into the air where they then bent backwards, distorting their features into grotesque visages in the dim lighting. Music was additionally employed during scene changes, keeping the audience immersed in the world of 1847 while the scenery was reset.

Briar Woods' production of Nevermore! Edgar Allen Poe's Final Mystery was an ambitious choice for the department, but they rose to the challenge and executed it smoothly. This captivating story of Poe's decent into a hellish world of his mind was made possible by a dedicated cast and crew. From the grains of sand falling through Poe's fingers on the beach to the shovels of dirt thrown unceremoniously onto his grave, Nevermore provided a dark yet imaginative glimpse into Edgar Allen Poe's troubled life and mind.

Brianna Meeks
Tuscarora
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Loudoun

Edgar Allan Poe once asked, "Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream?" The Briar Woods High School production of Nevermore! Edgar Allan Poe, the Final Mystery said `Yes` with one caveat...The dreams themselves are nightmares. In this production, the audience journeyed through Poe's nightmares, from the beating of the Tell-Tale Heart to the Pit and the Pendulum.

Nevermore! was written by Julian Wiles, founder and producing artistic director of Charleston Stage, where it premiered and sold out in 1994. The show follows Poe (Brandon Diaz) on his alleged last days aboard a ship, where he is tormented by nightmares in the form of his own written works. The supernatural also appears in the form of the specter of his love, Annabel Lee (Kayla Shroyer), as she follows him on his journey to evade the evil intentions of Captain Nimrod (Alex Bertke). Two dances not in the original script were added to facilitate the macabre atmosphere of the show.

Brandon Diaz portrayed the tortured Poe, reciting Poe's own poems with a fervor and energy that brought dimensions to his complex character. Alex Bertke was Captain Nimrod, who was later revealed to be Lucifer in disguise. Bertke successfully portrayed a melding of both sides of his character as the play progressed, and his interactions with Diaz gave the show a launching point with which to convey Poe's descent into madness. Kayla Shroyer gave a unique interpretation of Annabel Lee and aptly provided motivation for the majority of Poe's actions.

While the ensemble as a whole could have had more energy, certain actors stood out. Most impressive was Jon Merlino, who not only gave Viscount Valequez a sarcastic yet respectable nature, but was also able to portray the very memorable and very creepy Hop frog. His balancing act atop a rickety set while screaming his lines gave the whole scene a grotesque atmosphere. Opposite him in the Masque of the Red Death scene was Brittany Howard as the Duchess Ulrica. She gave her small character definition and poise in her acting as well as dancing abilities.

The technical aspects of the show were a highlight, and scene changes, lighting, and props significantly enhanced the entire experience. With a revolving set, the running crew, headed by Nick Reist and stage manager Caitlin Gilligan, executed several quick scene changes that gave the show incredible flow. The crew also pulled off various incredible feats akin to a magician's act, stealthily making Annabel Lee appear from a box that was supposed to be empty in one scene and making a porthole disappear in another. The lighting, designed and executed by Olivia Comm and Emily Cox, reflected Poe's emotions, adding to the dark atmosphere of the show. The props were all very period, with the bottle that shattered on impact being the most sophisticated.

The cast and crew of Nevermore! skillfully handled this immensely technical show, providing an entertaining view of Poe's nightmares and the mystery that surrounded his life and death.

Khrysgiana Pineda
Stone Bridge High School
Submitted for publication to ShowBizRadio.net

If dreams are the fabrication of memories, what manner of webs are used to spin the intricate folds of one's imagination? Inky letters seem to flee from the very pages of their books into a pool of supposition that surrounds Edgar Allan Poe in a vortex of his own characters made not of ink, but of flesh.

"Nevermore! Edgar Allan Poe, The Final Mystery", written by Julian Wiles, premiered in 1994 with the Charleston Stage Company in South Carolina. Briar Woods High School's rendition took the audience on an unforgettable traverse through the untamed mind of a harrowed poet. Edgar Allan Poe (Brandon Diaz) boarded a ship in Baltimore, setting sail for New York City, unaware that he would never reach its shores. On the contrary, Poe is little more than a captive on a hell bound vessel captained by the devil (Alex Bertke) himself. Here a troubled man must fight to save his soul on a seemingly endless journey through poetry and nightmares or else face the consequences of an eternity "trapped on a ledge of his own imagination dangling between heaven and hell."

Brandon Diaz captivated the fanatical, inebriated poet in his movement and posture as well as distant expressions that alluded to the cluster of thoughts constantly surging through Poe's vivacious mind. Diaz applied diction to conceive clear, polished words that were audible to the audience's understanding, despite the tricky language. Captain Jeremiah Reynolds (Cal Veatch) carried out a surprising plot twist that supplemented the looming darkness which seemed to surround Poe at every turn. Both Veatch and Bertke sustained energy and finesse throughout the entire course of the play, increasing an already sinister sense to their snide, malevolent characters. Prince Prospero (Christian Perez) instituted timely comic relief. Meanwhile Annabel Lee's (Kayla Shroyer) soft character and voice was a light for Poe during desperate times. The Prince and Annabel provided a mollifying touch to an otherwise "midnight dreary" storyline.

The cast, sporadically lacking energy, rose to the occasion to generate suspense in scenes in which stakes were eminent, such as "Red Death" and "Nightmare Dance" (choreographed by Caitlin Gilligan). Lighting was regimented and judiciously correlated with the mood of the scene. Makeup lacked ingenuity, however it was carefully applied. Although scene changes were long, running crew procured numerous props, such as sand, spinning set pieces, and furniture. The cast and crew worked exceedingly well to secure various appearing and disappearing acts, alternating actors and set pieces to simulate the allusion of a sudden appearance.

On the whole, Briar Woods High School's production of "Nevermore!" indulged a resounding heartbeat in the swirling letters of Edgar Allan Poe's soul, the echo forever lingering in the "kingdom by the sea", casting the melancholy mystery across the audience of the tale of the poet and his beautiful Annabel Lee.

Sarah Santoro
Stone Bridge High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com - Loudoun

On the edges of everyday life there is a world of shadows. Some people, seduced by the dark temptation, venture too far and cannot escape entirely whole. Briar Woods's performance of Nevermore! Edgar Allen Poe, the Final Mystery invited the audience to witness the dangers of straying from the light and walking among demons.

In 1847, the celebrated author and poet Edgar Allan Poe set out on a journey to New York but never reached his destination. He was found delirious outside of a tavern in Baltimore days later. Poe died shortly after, leaving no clues as to what had caused his disappearance. Nevermore!, written by director and playwright Julian Wiles, proposes a theory as to what transpired during those mysterious days. The play follows Poe as he struggles with his descent into madness and is forced to live out horrors of his own invention from stories such as The Telltale Heart, The Pit and the Pendulum, and The Raven aboard the ship that was supposed to carry him to New York. Plagued by phantoms, nightmares, and even Lucifer himself, Poe grapples for a way to hold on to his sanity and be reunited with his love, the beautiful Annabel Lee.

Brilliant, tormented Poe was portrayed by Brandon Diaz with a drunken, tortured madness that showed a clear vision and convincing commitment. His depiction of Poe's anguish and delirium set the tone for the dark play and fascinated the audience. The character of Captain Nimrod who appears to Poe as Lucifer was played by Alex Bertke. He handled the duality of the role with a subtlety that left the audience unsure just what to believe about the calculating, infernal participant in the destruction of Poe's insanity.

Jon Merlino gave a frightening and compelling performance as the demonic jester Hopfrog, with maniacal laughter and a devilish physicality. Merlino and many other actors played a slew of contrasting roles and skillfully created distinctive characters each time.

The realistic props served to make the show believable in spite of the dark fantasy elements. From old suitcases, to pages of parchment, to grave dirt, the props were an impressive complement to the performance. Masterfully executed lighting also contributed to the grim, macabre mood of the show and helped transport the audience between the ship and Poe's world of nightmares and insanity.

Though lengthy scene changes left the audience sitting in the dark, the stage was transformed each time, from a ballroom of revelers trying to wait out a plague, to the bow of a ship being tossed by waves, and a variety of settings in between. While the music was a bit inconsistent with the other elements, the crew was creative with their use of sound effects such as the ominous caw of a raven punctuating Poe's madness and the throbbing tones of a beating heart.

The cast of Nevermore! Edgar Allen Poe, the Final Mystery brought the chilling tale to life with nightmarish believability. Despite a few incongruities, the tech provided an impressively ghastly and mysterious backdrop for the dark show. With evident talent and finesse, students at Briar Woods created a suspenseful and haunting performance.

Elizabeth Barto
West Springfield HS
Submitted for publication to The Falcon Flyer

The silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before. Briar Woods High School's production of Nevermore! Edgar Allen Poe, the Final Mystery presented a chilling tale with great commitment.

Julian Wiles's thrilling play, originally written for the Charleston Stage in South Carolina, fills in the blanks of the unknown final days of Edgar Allan Poe (Brandon Diaz) before his death. Riddled with devils, demons, realities, memories, and figments of the imagination, Nevermore! provides a cerebral treat while following infamous author of macabre tales's descent into madness.

With as many visual deceptions as the multitudes of false realities which Poe finds himself haunted by throughout the play, Briar Wood's production was made most memorable by its cleverly designed sets, and near mastery of smoke-and-mirror tricks and effects which helped to illuminate the illusion of reality.

From the moment that Brandon Diaz stalked out of the shadows, the tortured soul of Edgar A. Poe was revived from the dust of dated poetry and and lived once more. Diaz's Poe was well fleshed out, from his drunken swagger and slurs, to his energetic and urgent terror in the midst of his nightmares.

Although much of the ensemble lacked intensity and commitment to their scenes, there were several actors who provided strong performances. Especially impressive were Jon Merlino as the cynical Viscount and the deranged jester Hopfrog, Brittany Howard as Duchess Ulrica, and Alex Bertke as the plotting Captain Nimrod/Lucifer. Merlino in particular created distinct characters which were played with impressive commitment and skill, enriching each scene in which they were featured.

From the swinging pendulum, to the hand-painted suitcases, Briar Woods' production was certainly a lavish affair. Aside from some unpolished sound effects, and the somewhat ambiguous raven silhouetted backdrop, the tech elements of Nevermore were a highlight. A turntable provided an extra scenic layer that was well utilized as a transitional tool. A similarly multipurpose set piece was an intricate combination of platforms, a staircase, and a doorway which convincingly became a ship's cabin, a boarding house, a clock tower, and the deck of a ship simultaneously throughout the show. The lighting was even throughout the show when the stage was fully lit, and added immensely to the mood of the play when explored further. Whether broodingly casting scarlet red over the planes of the actor's faces in a masque struck by the red death, or flashing bright, jarring colors in a dance sequence illustrating the demons in Poe's own mind, the lighting was complex and well executed

Although the world may never really know what happened to Edgar Allen Poe in the days between his voyage to New York, and his death on the streets of Baltimore, as urged by Poe's character in the play, we may create our own realities. Only one thing is certain: although the real Poe lies in his grave, Briar Woods High School created an enriched and unique take on a labyrinthine tale that after closing night shall exist nevermore.