“E.A Poe..Into The Mind of Madness” was shown Friday and Saturday evenings in Studio One. The play, directed by Chris Bundy, takes us into the disturbed mind of one of the most famous poets, Edgar Allan Poe.The performance started off with the aisles full of students dressed in torn clothing staring blankly beyond the crowd. The tone was set from the very beginning when audience members stepped foot into the auditorium. The audience became silent as the lights dimmed and the piano keys started in with a tune meant to send shivers down their spines.The play went through the details surrounding Poe’s life and what inspired his most famous pieces. It was great to see the poems we’ve read over and over again in school come to life on stage.

Another memorable aspect of the play was the use of lighting and the video backgrounds directly behind the actors performing on stage. As the actors were describing a scene or reciting a poem of Poe’s, the videos showed them actually performing the poem.

Although the material was deep and held raw emotion, the performance really brought a sense of forgiveness and sympathy for Poe. The audience saw the traumatic reasons for Poe’s twisted poems, especially through the emotional portrayal of Poe by senior Zach Hebert. Hebert’s performance was memorable, as he literally became the character on stage through his mannerisms.

The play was very dark and shared the most intimate moments of Poe’s life. It was discouraged for children to go, and that was a very good idea. The play went through topics such as abandonment and heartache, then spiraled into death and murder.

The overall experience of the play was very interesting and unique. As the last scene came to a wrap and the audience cheered out of their seats, the echos of shouting and the large applause gave the play an unanimous two thumbs up.