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Shuddersome: Tales of Poe

Shuddersome: Tales of Poe

adapted by Lindsay Price from Edgar Allan Poe

The thumping of a heartbeat. The creak of a door. The howl of a bitter wind. The gong of a clock tower. The clang of alarm bells. The sound of beating wings getting closer and closer…

Specters, ghosts and ghouls come alive in this vivid theatrical adaptation of some of Edgar Allan Poe’s best-known works. Included are The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, and The Masque of the Red Death.

Poe’s words rise from the page like corpses from the grave. Be careful. Do you hear that tap, tap, tapping?

Multi-length versions of the script to fit every need.

Drama Choral Work Classical Adaptation Movement-based Mystery Reader's Theatre

Average Producer Rating:

Recommended for High Schools and Middle Schools

About 45 minutes
Times given are approximate and do not include intermissions/scene changes/breaks
34 Characters
4 M | 5 F | 25 Any Gender, Doubling Possible
Simple Set
51 pages
Production Tips
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Classroom Study Guide
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Performance Royalty Fees

Royalty fees apply to all performances whether or not admission is charged. Any performance in front of an audience (e.g. an invited dress rehearsal) is considered a performance for royalty purposes.

Exemption details for scenes and monologues for competition.

34 Characters
4 M, 5 F, 25 Any Gender, Doubling Possible

Characters in this play are currently identified as male or female. Directors are welcome to assign any gender (binary or non-binary) to any character and modify pronouns accordingly.

The Tell-Tale Heart
The Old [M] 24 lines
The Young [M] 75 lines
Police One [A] 9 lines
Police Two [A] 10 lines
The Shudders [A] 54 lines
Ensemble
The Bells
Silver One [A] 6 lines
Silver Two [A] 5 lines
Silver Three [A] 2 lines
Gold One [A] 7 lines
Gold Two [A] 4 lines
Gold Three [A] 4 lines
Brass One [A] 9 lines
Brass Two [A] 8 lines
Brass Three [A] 8 lines
Iron One [A] 16 lines
Iron Two [A] 14 lines
Icon Three [A] 11 lines
The Shudders [A] 22 lines
Ensemble
The Oval Portrait
Painter [M] 0 lines
Extensive mime
Picture Lady [F] 0 lines
Extensive mime
Young Lady [F] 0 lines
Extensive mime
Soul Suckers (x2) [A] 0 lines
Extensive mime
The Shudders [A] 0 lines
Ensemble
The Raven
One [A] 38 lines
Two [A] 38 lines
Three [A] 38 lines
Four [A] 37 lines
Five [A] 36 lines
The Shudders [A] 12 lines
Ensemble; You can have many more Individual Speakers for this poem. Feel free to divide the lines among more speakers.
The Masque of the Red Death
Narrator One 17 lines
Narrator Two 17 lines
Narrator Three 16 lines
Guest One 21 lines
Guest Two 21 lines
Guest Three 16 lines
Prince 15 lines
The Spectre
Extensive mime
The Shudders [A] 25 lines
Ensemble
Lionizing
Robert Jones [M] 42 lines
Father [M] 15 lines
Mother [F] 1 line
The Artist [F] 9 lines
The Duchess [F] 11 lines
The Countess [F] 7 lines
The Marquis [M] 4 lines
The Prince [M] 15 lines
The Elector [F] 4 lines
The Shudders [A]
Ensemble

Praise for Shuddersome: Tales of Poe

Sarah Kohn
Kingsland
This was a great One Act Competition piece. The actors really enjoyed the ominous feel we were able to create. I used 7-12th graders. It was a great learning experience for the underclassmen. It was a great way to share some of Poe's works with the students as well. I appreciated the options of limiting the show time to using the 3 pieces.
Beth Goodwin
Central High School Drama Club
I loved the adaptation of the stories! We performed this at the Maine Principals Association Regional Drama festival and won! The Shudders are an effective way to enhance the stories and we received a judge's commendation for their roles, along with an all festival cast nod for the student who played “Young" and a lighting award. This play was our first horror and we had an amazing time with it.
david mitchell
Kang Chiao International School
I really loved producing and directing this play. There is so much you can do with the content, scene and costumes. This play gave my students the opportunity to work with prose, mask, backdrops, scene changes, voice, soundscape, movement and so much more.

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Theatrefolk Featured Play – Shuddersome: Tales of Poe by Lindsay Price

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Plenty of Poe: Shuddersome: Tales of Poe

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Theatrefolk Featured Play – Gothic Ghost Stories by Lindsay Price

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A Theatrical Journey: Shuddersome: Tales of Poe

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Picture-Perfect Poe: Shuddersome: Tales of Poe

Picture Perfect Poe: Shuddersome: Tales of Poe

Picture Perfect Poe: Shuddersome: Tales of Poe

Facilitating a student led production

Facilitating a student led production

Stunning Success: Shuddersome: Tales of Poe

Stunning Success: Shuddersome: Tales of Poe

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