Poe Theatre on the Air

WYPR Baltimore
  • 4.6 (12)
  • ARTS

Part radio drama, part podcast, and all Edgar Allan Poe. A new spine-tingling play for your ears every month, adapted from America’s most famous horror and suspense writer. Gothic frights, by The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre.

  1. Hop-Frog

    11/19/2025

    Hop-Frog

    In this story, the physically disabled “Hop-Frog,” a victim of a war, is made to work for a cruel and brutish dictator. Together with his tiny love Tripetta, Hop-Frog sets the stage for a comeuppance for the king.

    55 min
  2. Poe Theatre on the Air Presents “The Pit and the Pendulum” A Halloween Special

    10/28/2025

    Poe Theatre on the Air Presents “The Pit and the Pendulum” A Halloween Special

    Set during the Spanish Inquisition, this intense and pulse-pounding radio drama tells the story of an unnamed prisoner forced to choose between several lethal options when sentenced to death. Written by TJ Perkins and produced by John Walker, featuring the voice of Alex Zavistovich. Sponsored in part by the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, Creative Baltimore Fund, and RavenBeer.

    33 min
  3. The Poe Theatre - The Beast in the Caves

    02/17/2025

    The Poe Theatre - The Beast in the Caves

    Three years ago, The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre was invited to take part in a project called “The Media of Mediumship,” with the University of Stirling in Scotland and the University of East Anglia in England. Poe Theatre’s Artistic Director Alex Zavistovich performed in and co-produced a three-part radio drama series written by UEA Professor Richard J. Hand, based on fiction held in the Harry Price Library in the University of London’s Senate House Library. The programs were first heard on the BBC as “The Adventures of Zachariah Jaeger” and are a continuing part of the curated Media of Mediumship project. The series subsequently received recognition in UEA’s Innovation and Impact Awards for Outstanding Social or Cultural Impact. This first installment of the series, “The Beast in the Caves,” was based on the short story “The Terror of Blue John Gap,” by Arthur Conan Doyle. A range of materials for the Media of Mediumship project can be found on YouTube at https://youtube.com/@themediaofmediumship4182?si=gtjM6xjw7AgbwDEJ

    39 min
  4. The Poe Theatre On The Air - The Purloined Letter

    01/02/2025

    The Poe Theatre On The Air - The Purloined Letter

    Hear the third and final story in Edgar Allan Poe’s Auguste Dupin trilogy of mysteries! Dupin and his assistant help the Paris police find a stolen letter, which is being used for blackmail at the highest levels of French government. The Purloined Letter script was written and directed by Alex Zavistovich. Music and sound effects by James D. Watson, featuring the voices of Adam R. Adkins, Bri Caelleigh, Jimi Kinstle, Melanie Kurstin, Jennifer Restak, and Alex Zavistovich. Here are links to the first two of Poe’s Dupin mysteries: “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”: https://www.wypr.org/podcast/poe-theatre-on-the-air/2024-01-19/the-murders-in-the-rue-morgue “The Mystery of Marie Roget”: https://www.wypr.org/podcast/poe-theatre-on-the-air/2024-08-13/the-mystery-of-marie-roget “The Purloined Letter” was recorded live in the Poe Room of The Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, MD, and made possible by The Enoch Pratt Free Library, DC Dogs, and The Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts.

    1h 8m

  5. 10/30/2024

    The Masque of the Red Death and Shadow (a Parable)

    This Halloween special edition of Poe Theatre on the Air features two readings of the works of Edgar Allan Poe: “The Masque of the Red Death” and “Shadow (a Parable).” Published in 1842, “The Masque of the Red Death” has been adapted numerous times, most notably by Roger Corman in a 1964 film starring Vincent Price. “Shadow (a Parable)” was written by Poe during his time in Baltimore and published in 1835. The story is read by British actor Helen Atkinson-Wood, best known for her work in the BBC series “Blackadder.” The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre on the Air is sponsored in part by Baltimore’s own RavenBeer, and by DC Dogs, a multimedia performing arts troupe. Special thanks to the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, and the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum in Baltimore. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    28 min

  6. 08/13/2024

    The Mystery of Marie Roget

    The second of Poe’s Auguste Dupin detective stories, “The Mystery of Marie Roget” follows Dupin and his biographer as they unravel the case of a missing perfume worker, found dead in the river. Written by James Comtois, and directed by Alex Zavistovich. Music and sound effects by James D. Watson, featuring the voices of Adam R. Adkins, David Hanauer, Jimi Kinstle, Melanie Kurstin, Jennifer Restak, and Alex Zavistovich. “The Mystery of Marie Roget” was recorded live in the Poe Room of The Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, MD, and made possible by The Enoch Pratt Free Library, DC Dogs, Avaya, and The Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 10m

  7. 07/01/2024

    The Eye That Saw Death

    Last year The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre was invited by The Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theatre Festival to adapt for the stage an early and little-known story by Williams, “The Eye That Saw Death.” This is the reading and sound design for Poe Theatre’s movement-based piece. With themes echoing Poe’s story “The Tell-Tale Heart,” our production of “The Eye That Saw Death” was an undeniable hit of the festival. The Poe Theatre has been invited back to Provincetown this year to mount a whole new production, titled “Flight.” We’ll keep you all up to date as we get closer to our performances. In the meantime, enjoy this theatrically-enhanced reading of “The Eye that Saw Death,” performed by the Poe Theatre’s own Jennifer Restak, with sound design by Alex Zavistovich. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    40 min

  8. 01/19/2024

    The Murders in the Rue Morgue

    The Murders in the Rue Morgue Recorded live at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon, The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre presents Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” streaming on WYPR just in time for the author’s 215th  birthday. “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” introduced readers everywhere to C. Auguste Dupin, Poe’s brilliant French detective. The story created the detective genre and was the inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Adapted for radio by Caroline Bennett and directed by Alex Zavistovich, this live recording features both live and recorded sound effects, with original music and sound design by James D Watson. With  the voices of  Adam R Adkins, David Hanauer, Jimi Kinstle, Melanie Kurstin, Jennifer Restak, and Alex Zavistovich. The Murders in the Rue Morgue was made possible by the Enoch Pratt Free Library, RavenBeer, DC Dogs, the law offices of Faegre Drinker, the technology company Avaya, LINK Strategic Partners and the Baltimore Office of Promotion and The Arts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 8m
See All (29)

4.6
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Part radio drama, part podcast, and all Edgar Allan Poe. A new spine-tingling play for your ears every month, adapted from America’s most famous horror and suspense writer. Gothic frights, by The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre.

Information

  • Creator
    WYPR Baltimore
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2025
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024 WYPR Baltimore
  • Show Website
    Poe Theatre on the Air

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