If the literary universe had an emcee for Halloween, it would certainly be Edgar Allan Poe. The 19th-century master of the macabre will be among three writers celebrated this Friday by Tennessee Shakespeare Company as part of its Dr. Greta McCormick Coger Literary Salon Series. Halloween’s Tell-Tale Heart: Edgar Allan Poe, Ambrose Bierce, and Flannery O’Connor will be presented both live (on TSC’s Tabor Stage) and online (via time-stamped password provided on the day of the event).
The Salon is curated and directed by TSC’s Stephanie Shine and TSC creative director Dan McCleary is among the actors you’ll see on stage. “We are featuring stories that hold the human heart at center,” says Shine. “Curated to provoke thought and provide a shiver or two, we explore the hidden heart’s desires in The Life You Save May Be Your Own (by O’Connor), the untrusted heart in The Boarded Window (by Bierce), the heart-like rhythm of the incessant cries of ‘nevermore’ in Poe’s Raven (to be read by McCleary), and the consequences of a heartless ruler during a pandemic in his Masque of the Red Death. The heart only knows the truth, and this collection is sure to get hearts beating.”
The Salon will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday. In-person seating will be limited to 54 patrons, seated with social distance in mind. (Masks are required.) Ticket prices range from $18 to $25 (with discounts for students and seniors).
For more information or to purchase tickets, call (901)759-0604 or visit tnshakespeare.org. TSC is located at 7950 Trinity Road in Cordova.