‘Poe’ great for Halloween

With the cast dressed all in black, “Murder By Poe” by Jeffrey Hatcher is a scary good time at Black Box Theatre (BBT), as it brings to life (and death) the stories and poems that made Edgar Allan Poe a master of the macabre.

Give four shrieks to co-directors husband and wife Joshua and Bekah Taulbee, who know every aspect of live theatre – on stage, backstage and in the light booth. Josh doubled as the set designer for this show – and the set is fabulously perfect – and Bekah did double duty as the lighting designer.

Cast members also played multiple roles in this production, including Penny Bever, Rachel Thomas-Chappell, Cassandra Galban, Dezz Martin, Luz Resendez, JoseLuis Solorzano, Atticus Starritt, Genno Tafoya, Nancy Klein Tafoya, Lisa Taylor and AJ Tumminaro (he was the clever detective/host).

If you add the Taulbees, that’s 13.

It is a veteran and versatile cast that welcomes Martin to her first time acting on stage. You will recognize actors from many BBT productions, as well as shows at Las Cruces Community Theatre, NMSU theatre, Toad Hall Productions and founding members of the Super Secret Improv Show that performs at BBT.

Some of Poe’s most famous works have been adapted for the stage by Hatcher, including “The Black Cat,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” “The Purloined Letter” and “The Fall of the House of Usher.”

“Axes appear from out of nowhere,” as Joshua Taulbee told the Bulletin. “Bodies appear in doorways. The perfect play for the Halloween season.”

There are some great special effects in this show, including hands in a chimney and a body being dismembered in a bathtub. Thomas-Chappell using her saw to marvelous effect in that below-floor bathtub was one of my favorite moments in the show. So was Galban’s silent (except for some great hissing) performance as a cat; she also gets credit for excellent costumes. And, a shout out goes to props designer Darlene DeMondo.

This is truly an ensemble production, with cast and crew supporting each other to create some truly creepy moments. There is no intermission in the 90-minute show, so the action continues to build as it segues from one Poe tale of terror to the next.

BBT is at 430 N. Main St. Remaining performances are 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Oct. 20-21 and 27-28, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22 and 29 and 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26.

Tickets are $15 regular admission, $12 for students and seniors over age 65 and $10 for all seats on Thursday, Oct. 26.

For tickets and more information, call 575-523-1223. Visit no-strings.org. You can also buy tickets at the door before each performance.