Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre To Perform At St. Luke's

ZOMBIE JOE'S UNDERGROUND THEATRE GROUP will make it's NYC debut on August 27th with Edgar Allan Poe's "MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH & THE TELL-TALE HEART & THE BELLS" at St. Luke's Theatre, 308 West 46th Street (west of 8th Avenue).  The company brings three of Poe's infamous tales of terror and intrigue to life with its 'tastefully macabre' theatrical style.  (www.ZombieJoes.com)  The two-act, mini-Poe Fest, serves up torture and madness in its 'bloody-shoestring' style of stylized physicality and strange soundscapes – all in under two hours with intermission.  The POE-formance schedule for ZOMBIE JOE'S "MASQUE" is Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays @ 8:00pm and Sundays @ 7:00pm.  All seats are $56.50 (with discounts for groups/seniors/students) and are available through TeleCharge at (212) 239-6200 or www.telecharge.com.

Zombie Joe said: "This is our homage to the late, great master of horror, Edgar Allan Poe.  We are delighted to bring three of Poe's most dynamic tales to New York audiences. Each of his frightening tales of terror are told, word for word, in our stylized 'performance fusion' with the group's signature staging, choreography and original music."   Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre Group sprouted from a small industrial garage in Southern California's San Fernando Valley in 1992.  Zombie Joe founded the company based on the ground-breaking theatrical doctrines of Antonin Artaud (the 20th Century French dramatist who advocated a theatre of cruelty), Bertolt Brecht, Anton Chekhov, Ivan Turgenev, Fyodor Dostoevsky and George Lucas.  The group won the LA Weekly Award as 2007 Best One-Act Ensemble for "Masque of the Red Death" as well as several Artistic Director Achievement Awards (ADA).

Building on the traditions of these innovators, Zombie Joe developed his own style of 'progressive' theatre, blending high impact, fast-moving, tightly-chiseled live theatre.  Zombie Joe's productions combine classical and original works.  Now based in the No-Ho Arts District of North Hollywood, CA, the company is making its New York debut with their original award-winning adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's "Masque of the Red Death" which has been nominated for 3 LA Weekly Theatre Awards.  The LA Times described Zombie Joe's Underground as 'a model of barebones ingenuity' and LA Weekly called the company 'one of Los Angeles' living treasures.'

The Masque of The Red Death: The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague known as the Red Death by hiding, along with his 1,000 guests, within the excesses of his luxurious abbey.

The Tell-Tale Heart: The story of one man's obsession, hatred and dominion over an old man's haunting blue eye and the beating of his hideous heart!

The Bells:  Poe's epic four-part poem about the relentless clanging and clamoring of the bells that haunt and preside over us all, set to a score by Christopher Reiner.

Using every word of Poe's original texts, the company embellishes the conventional first person recitation into a fluid, ever-shifting expressionistic mass.   Audience members are invited to don party masks and join in.  The 'tastefully macabre' production is suitable for teens and up.

For more information about Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre Group, go to www.ZombieJoes.com.

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