LLCCNEWS

Lincoln Land Community College ·  Office of Public Relations and Marketing

5250 Shepherd Road · P O Box 19256 · Springfield, IL 62794-9256 · 217.786.2218 ·  800.727.4161, ext. 6.2218

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                           Oct. 6, 2014

Contact: Lynn Whalen, lynn.whalen@llcc.edu; 786.2219

 

LLCC Theatre presents world premiere of “The Shadows of Edgar Allan Poe” Dec. 5-7 at the Hoogland Center for the Arts

 

SPRINGFIELD – Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) Theatre presents a world premiere Dec. 5-7 of “The Shadows of Edgar Allan Poe” directed by Mark Hardiman, professor of theatre. Performances will be Dec. 5 and 6 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. in the Hoogland Center for the Arts, Theatre III.

 

Tickets, at $18 ($16 for seniors and $10 for students with ID), may be purchased beginning Oct. 31 at the Hoogland Center, 420 South 6th St., by calling 217-523-2787 or online at www.hcfta.org.

 

Because of the nature of the writings of Poe, parental discretion is recommended.

 

Audiences are invited to enter the swirling reverie of Edgar Allan Poe in this alchemical mixture of prose and posey. “The Shadows of Edgar Allan Poe” is designed to conjure Poe’s most celebrated reflections on life and love, through creative staging of masterpieces such as “Annabel Lee,” “The Raven,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Pit and The Pendulum” and others. The entire event is told through juxtaposition of light and shadow, music and mesmerizing movement.

 

“The Shadows of Edgar Allan Poe” is a devised piece of theatre, according to Professor Hardiman. “Devised theatre can include song, movement, poetry, improvisation, pieces of actual text, striking visual images and reflections on the piece that are highlighted in a new context. Through a collaborative process, the ensemble of actors, director and assistants are developing the performance. We are working to open up ideas and connections between the pieces that readers may not have experienced. The process is to explore background and symbolism while keeping the pieces accessible and performance-worthy.” 

 

The performance is designed to be an immersive event of approximately 90 minutes and will feature original musical compositions by Dylan Smith and Jefferson Gentry, who have worked with Hardiman previously on LLCC projects.

 

LLCC Theatre is engaging in an effort to expand the accessibility of its performances through this staging at the Hoogland Center. “This helps increase the exposure of the program to the Springfield audience while enhancing the experience and exposure of those working on the project both backstage and on-stage,” says Hardiman. 

 

LLCC’s theatre program includes 32 courses in multiple disciplines within theatre including acting, directing, stage management, costuming, stage combat and others. More information is available at www.llcc.edu.