The Coterie to Present TELL-TALE ELECTRIC POE This Month

For two weeks only, The Coterie will present the return special engagement of Tell-Tale Electric Poe, a unique theatrical event for families with ages 10 and older that features R.H. Wilhoit delivering two of Edgar Allan Poe's best-known works with musical underscoring by guitarist Rex Hobart. Adapted and directed by Coterie producing artistic director, Jeff Church, Tell-Tale Electric Poe will be performed live on The Coterie's mainstage located in Crown Center, October 20-October 30, 2022.

In Tell-Tale Electric Poe, two moody masterpieces by Edgar Allan Poe are brought to life - and death - by one actor and one musician. Actor and Coterie teaching artist, R.H. Wilhoit, delivers Poe stories and poems with musical lines and retorts from a reactive electric guitar played live by composer and musician Rex Hobart. Presented on The Coterie's mainstage, Wilhoit will perform readings of The Premature Burial and the often requested The Tell-Tale Heart, as well as several Poe poems in a production that overflows with riffs, ghosts, poetry, and morbid prose floating in an atmospheric setting. Horrifying and humorous, the sublime creation blends old with new.

First appearing in 1844 in the Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper, Poe took advantage of concerns at the time in The Premature Burial. In The Coterie's reading, a speaker delivers something of an antique TED Talk about his mortal fear, when it appears to manifest right before our eyes. Then, in 1843's classic psychological thriller The Tell-Tale Heart, a man confronts himself and the audience with his desire to commit unspeakable acts simply because of an old man's watchful eye. As a profound and horrifying plunge into the paranoia of a man's mind, The Tell-Tale Heart is one of Poe's best known and most highly regarded stories.

"For the first time in some years, we're including The Tell-Tale Heart in our annual Electric Poe production. And because we're inside on The Coterie stage for this year's performances, we're able do a lot of special effects!" exclaimed Church. "Hollis WIlhoit and guitarist Rex Hobart will also perform Poe's onomatopeia poem, 'The Bells,' as well as his classic, The Premature Burial."

The Coterie's Tell-Tale Electric Poe will run approximately 50 minutes and will be best appreciated by families with ages 10 and older.

Tell-Tale Electric Poe is adapted and directed by Jeff Church. The cast features R.H. Wilhoit (as the actor) and Rex Hobart (as the musician). The artistic and production company includes Steve Emerson (production stage manager), Marc Wayne (technical director/master carpenter), David Kiehl (sound designer), Jarrett Bertoncin (lighting designer), and Georgianna Londré Buchanan (costume designer).

The Coterie will begin Tell-Tale Electric Poe on October 20 and run through October 30, 2022, in The Coterie Theatre, located on level one of the Crown Center Shops in Kansas City, MO. Press Night will be held on Friday, October 21, at 7:00 p.m. The performance runs approximately 50 minutes with no intermission and will be appreciated by families with ages 10 and older. All tickets are on sale now by calling The Coterie's box office at 816.474.6552 or visiting www.thecoterie.org.

Individual Tickets: Tickets are $12.00 for youth under 18, students, and seniors 60 and older; and $15.00 for adults.

Group Pricing: The Coterie offers groups of 20 or more special rates ranging from $6.00 - $8.00 per person, depending on performance date.

ABOUT THE COTERIE

Designated by TIME magazine in the top three theaters for young audiences in Nov. 2004 ("groundbreaking... one of the nation's most respected"), The Coterie, a not-for-profit professional company located in Kansas City, MO, has been at the forefront of commissioning new works or adaptations that contribute to the field of theatre for young audiences. More than 50 world or American premieres for all ages have been produced by The Coterie over the last 25 years, during Artistic Director Jeff Church's tenure, including hosting multiple major Broadway composers and lyricists to shape quality musicals for youth and families. The Coterie is interested in intergenerational conversation, and consistently includes teen programming in its season and outreach efforts. The Coterie's community programming redefines traditional notions of work for young audiences with its unique dramatic writing programs (Young Playwrights' Roundtable), teen LGBTQ work (Project Pride), and mental health workshops in a dramatic format (Project Daylight), all free of charge, as overseen by Executive Director Joette Pelster and a dedicated staff. All these components serve an average of 97,000 per year through over 350 performances. The Coterie Theatre School has locations throughout greater Kansas City. Donate at www.thecoterie.org.

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