"3 by Poe" at 59E59 Theater C
“3 by Poe”
Performed by Richard Smithies
Reviewed by David Roberts, Chief Critic
Theatre Reviews Limited
In preparation for his participation in the 2012 Edinburgh Festival Fringe (August 3 – 27), Richard Smithies performed his “3 by Poe” at 59E59’s East to Edinburgh Festival.
Smithies performs Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” as Montresor who cleverly works out his revenge against Fortunato by walling him up in the catacombs beneath his home. He then performs “The Tell-Tale Heart” as the “mad” murderer of the old man with the vulture eye. Finally, Smithies chooses to perform Poe’s lesser known (of the three) “Hop Frog” as the short story writer himself.
The accomplished actor successfully characterizes Montresor, the murderer, and Poe using vocal inflection, vocal modulation, facial expressions, and gestures. All three performances feature distinct costumes.
The time between costume changes creates awkward moments for the audience left sitting in the dark. Music, projections, video clips, anything pertinent to Poe would fill this void and keep the audience in the mood for more madness.
Mr. Smithies’ choice to read “Hop Frog” from printed sheets of paper made the final of the “3 by Poe” ineffective. If the story is not memorized, then it should be read from a period tome or handwritten pages.
Ultimately, it is Edgar Allan Poe’s stories that are the stars here. Like the beat of the tell-tale heart, Poe’s words reverberate throughout 59E59 Theater C even from under the floorboards beneath our seats.
All the best in Edinburgh, Richard. You will enjoy every moment.
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 | Permalink | Posted by David Roberts on Monday, July 30, 2012 |
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