Review: TALES OF THE MYSTERIOUS AND GROTESQUE at Capital Fringe

If you try hard enough, you may find another author more suited to a Fringe Festival venue than Edgar Allan Poe, but it is highly unlikely. The works of this "master of the macabre", poet, and literary artist seem tailor-made for just such a celebration of all things "outside the box". Unfortunately, Tales of the Mysterious and Grotesque, written by Robert Cousins and performed by The Phenomenal Animals, fails to effectively tap into the potential of Poe's work.

The show's self-described "occult journey" occurs over seven back-to-back acts, each referencing one of Poe's works. Audience members should have some familiarity with each story going in, as this piece does not do any of them justice. Right out of the gate, the cast of four pulls in (hopefully) willing participants from the audience, but the effort is not well thought out, lands clumsily, and seems completely unnecessary. Thankfully, the schtick is quickly abandoned for the remainder of the performance.

The actors struggle almost universally to convincingly articulate and deliver Poe's words throughout the performance and the effect is quite jarring when they switch to the less-poetic lines of the modern playwright. Brandon Walls ("Perverse"), in particular, seems to rely on his volume and physical intensity to convey character, rather than demonstrating any clear understanding of the words he is delivering. Lucy Bond's portrayal of "Merry" is inconsistent and she often breaks character to engage the audience. Jacob Wheatley, as "Mysterious", is under-used through most of the production, but gives a convincing performance as both a cat and then as a man who thinks he is a cat. Olivia Litteral stands out for her performance as "Grotesque", but also struggles at key moments.

The production as a whole suffers from a lack of cohesion and an ever present sense of confusion. The piece appears to have been staged originally for a much larger space. Rather than adapting to this smaller venue (St. Augustine's Episcopal Church), the cast fumbles through distracting scene changes, subjects the audience to overly loud noises, and displays no attempt to seamlessly transition from one act to the next. Though the run time for Tales is roughly 60 minutes, it seems like much longer. It is an uncomfortable watch, to be sure.

That the cast and crew are primarily current undergraduate students or recent graduates is significant. While the show itself falls flat, it beautifully reflects what the arts in general, and specifically Fringe Fest, should be about - the opportunity for artists to explore and create without rigid boundaries or commercial expectations. There is a wealth of imagination to these performers and it will be interesting to see what they come up with next.

Tales of the Mysterious and Grotesque: The Works of Edgar Allan Poe has three remaining performances: Saturday, 7/21, at 7:15 pm; Wednesday, 7/25, at 7:00 pm; and Friday, 7/27, at 7:30 pm. More information and tickets are available at CapitalFringe.org

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