News

We’re excited to start releasing The Midnight Dreary Festival radio plays tonight! See below for some materials curated by our Director of Education, Meredyth Pederson Cooper. These materials will give you more insight about Edgar Allen Poe’s life and suggest ways to enhance your listening experience! Have you ever listened to a radio play before?

Click here to purchase tickets: The Midnight Dreary Festival

Poe Biography/Background Info

• Cool History – Who Was Edgar Allen Poe Really?
• Why should you read Edgar Allen Poe? (Ted Ed)
• Draw My Life: Edgar Allen Poe
• The Raven – read by James Earl Jones

Edgar Allen Poe on TV

• The Raven on The Simpsons
• Edgar Allen Poe on Sabrina the Teenage Witch
• Edgar Allen Poe as a Goth Kid on South Park (note: strong language)

Pre-Show Poe Ponderings

• What is the first detective story you remember from books, movies or TV?
• What kinds of horror stories do you like? Are you a murder mystery podcast fan? Or do you love a scary thriller movie? Why?
• What is it about mystery and horror that is so engaging?
• What is the last thing you listened to?

Enhancing Your Listening Experience

• Where are you going to listen to the radio play(s)? Find a spot in your home that is comfortable, but is there anything else you could add to the space to make it a little spooky? Could you adjust your lighting? Light some candles?
• Do you listen to podcasts? There’s all kinds of content to listen to out there, and it’s often convenient to listen to a podcast or the radio while we do something else, like cleaning, cooking or going for a walk. Next time you go to listen to something, challenge yourself to only listen to the content, without doing another task. See what comes up for you: how does this affect your focus? Do you find yourself itching to move your body while you listen? Experiment and see how you listen best. What did you enjoy about listening this way? What did you miss?