Edgar Allan Poe to come alive in one-man show

Once upon a midnight dreary, and just in time for Halloween, celebrated actor Alastair Morley Jaques brings his renowned one-man show, "An Evening With Edgar Allan Poe," to The Belfry in Sisters on Friday, October 25, at 8 p.m.

Jaques has performed this macabre, tour-de-force act in Bend at the Tower Theatre, the Old Stone Church and all over the Pacific Northwest, resurrecting the master of horror with detail and emotion.

For two hours, the morose genius of Baltimore's infamous son comes alive under Jaques' masterful direction, discussing his life, dreams and inspirations behind such immortal literary classics as "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Black Cat" and "The Raven."

Poe died in 1849 in Baltimore under questionable circumstances, and his life remains shrouded in the same murky mists inhabiting so many of his sinister stories.

"I've been doing Poe for about six years now," said Jaques. "It all started with me wanting to create a one-man show. I had watched Hal Holbrook do his famous Mark Twain Tonight show, so that was a huge inspiration for me. I stopped and thought about who was as iconic an American writer as Twain and it didn't take long to come up with Edgar Allan Poe. For the formation of the act, I rediscovered his complete works and read some major literary biographies on him to get details and historical accuracies correct."

The vintage church venue of The Belfry is the perfect spot to invoke the spirit of one of America's most celebrated authors and poets. It's a spooky, immersive experience to liven up the Halloween season.

Jaques' act is a living, breathing entity, constantly evolving and changing every time he steps onto the stage dressed in death black.

"I have so many hours of Poe material committed to memory, and the experience is never the same twice. Everyone usually knows 'The Raven,' it's his magnum opus and I typically close with that. Poe wasn't quite as dark and brooding as his reputation would lead you to believe and I try to reveal his more comedic aspects. People really come to see this show around Halloween for a bit of a thrill and a scare but I don't lay on the gothic romanticism too thick."

An interactive Q & A session with Poe himself will follow the performance. Tickets are $10 in advance/$12 at the door and can be found online at http://www.belfryevents.com.

Seating is limited. Hot cider, homemade soup and bread, beer, wine and cocktails will be available for purchase. The Belfry is located at 302 E. Main Ave. in downtown Sisters. For more information call 541-815-9122.