"Mayhem at Midnight" debuts at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts | Press Releases

"Mayhem at Midnight," a collection of spine-tingling Edgar Allen Poe tales recast as live radio dramas, will take place Friday, Sept. 30, at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 1, at 3 and 8 p.m. at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts.

Directed by Quick Center Executive Director Tom Zingarelli from adaptations by New York actor/director Bob Adrian, the show will feature some of Poe's best-loved - and scariest - works. "The Purloined Letter," "The Cask of Amontillado," "The Angel of the Odd," and "The Telltale Heart" will all be included, as well as excerpts from Poe's poems "The Raven," "The Bells," "Annabelle Lee" and others. Composer Daniel Smith of New Haven will perform original music he wrote especially for the performances.

The cast includes a number of seasoned actors from across Connecticut and New York. They are: James Noble of Norwalk; Normal Marshall of Guilford; Stan Lachow of New York; Sachi Parker of Greenwich; and Katie C. Sparer of Stratford. Adrian and Zingarelli, a Bridgeport resident, will also perform. Live sound effects will be provided by Sue Zizza and David Shinn, sound designers, of Suemedia of New York.

Born in 1809, Edgar Allan Poe lived a grim life - orphaned at two, raised by a cold tobacco merchant and plagued by bouts of alcoholism throughout his 38 years. So it's not surprising that he penned the creepy tales in this performance, which ushers in the Halloween season. Filled with loss and misery, Poe's works - often ghoulishly told from a murderer's point of view - are true American horror classics.

"Mayhem at Midnight" is the first of three live radio dramas this season. On Friday, Jan. 27, and Saturday, Jan. 28, the Quick Center will present "Radio Dames," a showcase of some of the great female roles in radio history. The final show is "Golden-Age Thrillers," a few lively tales from the heyday of radio drama. Performances will take place on Friday, April 7, and Saturday, April 8.

Tickets to Poe radio dramas are $15. A package of tickets for all three shows in $36. For tickets, call the Quick Center box office at (203) 254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396. For more information, visit www.quickcenter.com.