WaCPAC set to stage Poe play with a twist

The Wayne County Performing Arts Council will present the play, "Nevermore! Edgar Allan Poe, the Final Mystery," Nov. 2-5.

Performances will be held at the Wayne Center for the Arts, 237 S. Walnut St., Wooster.

WaCPAC is a nonprofit community theater organization. The group produces both plays and musicals including a youth musical every summer.

This will be the first time WaCPAC has presented this play. Andrea Murphy is the show's director.

"Edgar Allan Poe is timeless. Even in today's classroom, his works are being taught and analyzed. His death remains a mystery, and I loved the way the mystery is projected in this play," Murphy said. "This show mixes Poe's literary works, the facts of his life and subsequent death while also adding mystery, twists and turns, just like a real Poe story."

The production will be Murphy's first directing venture. Having grown up with a grandmother who was a seamstress for the Cleveland Ballet and Playhouse Square, the director got involved in local theater when her son was cast in a WaCPAC summer musical.

"I am having a blast," she said.

Murphy was searching for a play that would work well for the fall season when she found "Nevermore."

"I have always been a fan of Poe's works," she said. "The mystery and horror he weaves into his stories intrigues me. After reading the play, I knew it would be perfect for a late October/early November run. It captivated me, and I cannot wait to see it captivate the audience."

The cast is made up of 11 members ranging in age from 14 through adult and includes new faces as well as a few veterans. One actor has been in three other WaCPAC shows. It's a bit of a family affair with both cast and crew — the cast has a brother and sister and a married couple while Murphy's kids work backstage.

For those interested in getting involved in upcoming shows, auditions are posted on the group's website and Facebook pages. People come from all over Wayne and surrounding counties to audition. More male actors are especially needed.

"Nevermore! Edgar Allan Poe, the Final Mystery" by Julian Wiles will be presented Nov. 2-4 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. All tickets are $15 and may be purchased at the door or online at https://ticketpeak.co/wacpac/events.

Concessions are available before the show and during intermission. All proceeds from the production and the concessions are used toward funding future WaCPAC shows and projects.

Volunteers are always needed, as are donations of props, costumes and set pieces. Currently, volunteers are needed for green room, concessions and box office. For more information email Murphy at amurph5507@yahoo.com.

Find WaCPAC online at www.wacpac.org/ and on Facebook.

"Poe is a perfect ending to the spooky Halloween season, and this play is like none other," Murphy said. "The audience will be on the edge of their seats as the play unveils the mystery of Poe's final days, complete with a jaw-dropping twist in the story."