R.H. Wilhoit in Electric Poe (Tressa Lee)
One of Kansas City’s most splendidly macabre traditions is back, as the work of Edgar Allan Poe is brought to life in Union Cemetery. The Coterie Theatre, in collaboration with the Union Cemetery Historical Society, is back with another round of its annual Electric Poe, the spooky, literary-loving production with rock overtones.
This year’s Electric Poe presents lively readings of two works by Edgar Allan Poe: “The Raven” and “William Wilson.” Actor R.H. Wilhoit, who is also credited with adapting the stories, is the show’s sole actor, narrating Poe’s work and inhabiting the characters within, accompanied by Benjamin Hart’s dusky compositions performed live on electric guitar and keyboard. In addition to the two Poe stories, Wilhoit also takes on the role of Rufus Wilmot Griswold, a newspaper editor and Poe’s contemporary and rival. Griswold’s reflections on Poe’s death (he wrote a famously unkind obituary for the writer) bookend the stories and the framing adds an extra layer of ghostliness to the affair.
I’d only made it out to see Electric Poe once before this year, and that was when the production was held in The Coterie’s usual theatre space in Crown Center. I thoroughly enjoyed that show but the cemetery setting makes this a next-level immersive experience. The 150-year-old in-ground “holding vault” serves as a tantalizing backdrop to the action. Within 15 minutes of the show’s 6:30 start time, the sun has set and Jarrett Bertoncin’s dramatic lighting design takes full effect, letting shadows play on the face of the vault. (Also, for having a set built out from a door placed center-stage, Wilhoit, under the deft direction of Amanda Kibler, shows great restraint in his interactions with it, only opening the door to peer into the black void once during the entire show. The effect is chilling.)
The trade-off for the delightfully ghostly ambiance supplied by the locale is its unconventional audience set-up. Attendees can choose to buy a ticket in the blanket section or the area for chairs behind the blankets. (Both sections require you to bring your own seating.) The audience area sprawls wide to avoid going back too far in rows, and Wilhoit does an excellent job of playing to those seated on the sides. Still, the seating is on a reverse slope and sightlines are a gamble. It’s worth showing up early (expect a line when the cemetery gates open) or opting for a blanket seat if that’s an option for you.
As always, Wilhoit is thrilling to watch. It’s not easy to make dramatic readings of short stories and poems feel fully theatrical but his energy and focus are gripping, even with this year’s more difficult material. While “The Raven” is obviously a crowd-pleaser—and Wilhoit plays it beautifully, with a frank directness that grows into dark mania—”William Wilson” is trickier. The story about a man’s experiences with his own doppelganger is a good, haunting read but its lengthy descriptions of the narrator’s university exploits drag a bit when presented on the stage. Still, Wilhoit is more than capable of holding an audience’s attention, especially with Hart’s music setting the mood with such brooding force.
Electric Poe has an age recommendation of 10 and up, but those without children shouldn’t be deterred. In fact, there were surprisingly few kids in attendance the evening I went, and most of the audience was made up of couples and groups of adults. This is proving to be an annual fall tradition worth coming out for year after year for anyone of any age who enjoys Poe, unique theatre, or just a good creepy vibe.
“Electric Poe,” a production of The Coterie Theatre and the Union Cemetery Historical Society, runs at Union Cemetery through November 3. For more information, visit thecoterie.org
