at ZJU Theatre Group
One of Edgar Allan Poe's greatest gifts as a writer was his uncanny ability to delve deep into the human psyche and excavate the darker terrain of human emotion and obsession. Although he died in 1849, his poems and short stories still enthrall audiences. His influence on the horror genre is incalculable, and numerous adaptations of his works have been made for film and television. But thanks to producer and director Zombie Joe, this may be the first time any of Poe's works have been interpreted as performance art.
A eight-member ensemble groans and grimaces and scoots and skitters its way through a 55-minute group recitation of two of Poe's best-known pieces: "The Tell-Tale Heart" (short story) and "The Bells" (poem). The performers are accompanied by Christopher Reiner on black-draped keyboards, singing and playing his original offbeat compositions. Zombie Joe has dressed the actors in white shirts, black pants and ties, and red-palmed gloves, and made them up in whiteface with dark circles beneath their eyes. And in this mass of writhing arms, mincing steps, jazz hands, and exaggerated expressions, there is little subtlety to be found and much refinement still needed.
The show gets off to a torturously slow start as each actor enters, individually and spaced—it feels—miles apart, to form a single too-tight line across the playing area. It picks up once the storytelling begins, but lags again in places where, for example, the cast is frozen in variations of a Munch scream, endlessly intoning a single note. The humorous moments are too few, and more uniformity and a drill-team-like precision in terms of movement and vocalizations would greatly enhance the experience. Entrances and exits are often clumsy due to the heavy black curtains covering doorways; keeping them open or hanging the blacks deeper might eliminate some of that problem. Poe as performance art is an intriguing concept, but more shaping and definition is needed to make this attempt at it really work.
The ensemble cast includes: Christopher Coombs, Denise Devin, Sarah Grace, Jude Hinojosa, Billy Minogue, Jonica Patella, Reiner, Ana Rey, and Jason Wade. Technical elements are minimal and uncredited.
Presented by ZJU Theatre Group, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Thu. 8:30 p.m., Sun. 7:30 p.m. Jun. 15-Jul. 2. (818) 202-4120.
Reviewed by Terri Roberts