Boston, Massachusetts (June 2, 2014) — Boston literary enthusiasts and fans of the macabre will get a double whammy of fall fun this October—as a companion event to the Edgar Allan Poe Bronze Bust Project, which will be unveiled on October 30, 2014 at the Boston Public Library, Boston-based filmmaker Izzy Lee and the Poe bust sculptor, Bryan Moore, are bringing Dennis Paoli’s play “Nevermore: An Evening With Edgar Allan Poe” to the Somerville Theatre on October 31, 2014.
Starring beloved character actor Jeffrey Combs, the one-act play is set in 1848—one year after the death of his wife and muse Virginia, and two years before Poe’s own death—and begins and ends with the lighting and extinguishing of a candle. Combs inhabits Poe’s persona seemingly as easily as he breathes—Combs runs the gamut from congenial to hilarious to tragic—all in 90 minutes’ worth of expertly delivered monologue.
“I can't express how thrilled and honored I am to be invited to perform ‘Nevermore: An Evening With Edgar Allan Poe’ in Boston. Not only was Boston Poe's birthplace, but throughout his professional life he had, let's say, a colorfully contentious relationship with the city's literati. I simply can't wait to step onto the Somerville Theatre stage on Halloween night.”
Having toured North America in years past, Combs has widely received standing ovations. The Austin Chronicle had this to say: “Combs, normally known for his angular, vulpine looks, is immediately recognizable as the moon-faced Poe. He lets his face droop into the lethargic, booze-fueled but brilliant visage that stares out of every portrait of the author. Then there's the voice: In the opening minutes, it's a bombastic flurry, as the ever-florid and over-dramatic Poe orates to the audience. It's a breathless introduction to a powerhouse performance, as the barriers between Poe's sense of the dramatic and his own overbearing tragedy come crashing down like the House of Usher into the deep and dank tarn.”
Los Angeles Times stated: “The true test of Combs’ talents lies in his rendering of such Poe standards as ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ and ‘The Raven;’ pieces so arguably overdone that one dreads hearing them even one more time. However, until you hear Combs do them, you have never heard them before.”
“Jeffrey Combs’ interpretation of Poe is not so much an acting job as channeling the spirits of the unquiet dead. There wasn’t one minute where I felt that I was watching the man play a role,” mused Film Threat.
Boston-based filmmaker Izzy Lee, who is producing “Nevermore” at the Somerville Theatre, said this: “When Bryan asked me to be involved, I forgot to breathe. Poe is a personal hero of mine; his work helped me get through a lot of dark times in my childhood. I'm absolutely thrilled to help bring a life-size representation of Poe to the Boston Public Library, one of my favorite places in the city. This event led to talk about bringing ‘Nevermore’ to town; I first saw the play in Montreal at Fantasia in 2010, and was blown away. It’s been a dream of mine to be able to bring Jeff and ‘Nevermore’ to Boston since then. Anyone who attends the unveiling and the show is going to get a very, very special treat this Halloween.”
Poe sculptor Bryan Moore states: “I'm honored to be working with my dear friend Izzy Lee on the Edgar Allan Poe Bronze Bust Project as well as bringing the incredible show ‘Nevermore’ to Boston. Izzy is a filmmaker of note; her cinematic niche is hard-hitting and uncompromising in its dark vision; Izzy brings that same dedication and panache to her arsenal as a great producer. When it comes to delivering the goods, Izzy Lee takes no prisoners.”
The bust unveiling is slated for the evening of October 30, 2014 in the Boston Public Library’s Abbey Room, and “Nevermore: An Evening With Edgar Allan Poe,” will be performed (one night only) at the Somerville Theatre on October 31, 2014.
The Edgar Allan Poe Bronze Bust Kickstarter fundraiser will be launched very shortly.
About Jeffrey Combs:
A true icon of horror and sci-fi film and television, Jeffrey Combs spent years honing his craft at acclaimed schools and in regional theatre; he trained at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts and the Actor’s Training Program at the University of Washington in Seattle. Following those schools, Combs spent years performing at such notable venues as the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, the Arizona Theatre Company in Tucson, the California Shakespearean Company, the Mark Taper Forum, and the South Coast Repertory, where in 1983, he won an L.A. Drama Critics Award.
With over 50 feature films and countless television series under his belt, Combs’ career spans a broad range of genres, but he’s most widely recognized by horror and science fiction fans. His most beloved performances are: the mad scientist Herbert West in “Re-Animator;” the quirky FBI agent Milton Dammers in Peter Jackson’s “The Frighteners,” which earned him a Saturn Award nomination; his chilling performance as Dr. Richard Vannacutt in the Halloween box office champ “House on Haunted Hill;” and his widely praised portrayal of Edgar Allan Poe in Stuart Gordon’s “The Black Cat,” created for Showtime’s “Masters of Horror” series. Additionally, Combs starred with Rene Zellwegger in the indie film favorite “Love and a .45,” and acted opposite Jennifer Love-Hewitt in the successful “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.”
Nevermore clip compilation:
Reviews: http://www.redhenprods.com/nevermore-an-evening-with-edgar-allen-poe-reviews.html
About Izzy Lee:
Izzy Lee is an up-and-coming director/producer/writer of horror films, and has been a programmer for the Boston Underground and Boston Sci-Fi festivals, as well as the former marketing director for the Viscera and Etheria film festivals. She has written for the world’s leading horror magazines Rue Morgue, Fangoria, and Diabolique. These experiences segued into directing and producing short films, notably horror and revenge stories. Her films have recently screened in Boston, Philadelphia, Rome, and Kansas City. Lee is currently in pre-production for several projects, and will serve as the producer for “Nevermore: An Evening With Edgar Allan Poe,” to be held on October 31, 2014 at the Somerville Theatre. Additionally, she is partnering with sculptor Bryan Moore to assist in the installation of the Edgar Allan Poe bronze bust in the Boston Public Library, with the unveiling set for October 30, 2014. Keep up with her at www.nihilnoctem.com.
About Bryan Moore:
Bryan Moore began his sculpting career by working in countless horror media, like the original Tales from the Darkside TV series to big budget films like the Underworld movies. He enjoyed an apprenticeship in Italy under the sculptor Fabrizzi Alatore doing restorative work on the remains of monks for the Celebrated Cemetery of the Capuchin Friars in Rome; lived in Tokyo sculpting miniatures for amusement parks; worked as a sculptor at both Mattel Toys and Upper Deck Sports Collectibles; and now sculpts private commissions. Moore seems to have created an unintentional niche for himself as one who celebrates the Devil in art; his limited editions of occult icons often sell out immediately.
In August of 2013, Moore installed a life-size bronze bust of noted horror author H.P. Lovecraft in the Providence Athenaeum, and made a donation to the Children's Literacy Program as part of the project. The extraordinary success of the H.P. Lovecraft Bronze Bust Project led to the creation of a life-size bust of Edgar Allan Poe, which will be unveiled in the city of Boston in the Boston Public Library on October 30, 2014.
Having won a Rondo Award in May 2014—given in celebration of the best in classic horror research, creativity and film preservation—for Best Fan Event for his 2013 H.P. Lovecraft Bronze Bust Project, Moore is now tackling Boston and its wayward son, Edgar Allan Poe, at the nation’s oldest public library, the Boston Public Library.
