Pensieri di un lunatico minore

Quoth the raven

When one contemplates the various subject matter that are prime targets for conversion into the musical form, the life of Edgar Allan Poe is unlikely to come to the forefront. Thus, it is with great interest that I went to the staging of “Nevermore,” an original production of the Signature Theatre in Arlington.

This was my second production at the Signature this season—the first being “Yemaya’s Belly”—and I can attest that the seats still suck unbelievably. The staging on the other hand was a mixed bag. The writing was excellent, and the actors were quite talented in translating the work onto the stage. The work expressed, in creative and vivid ways the tormented life that Poe experienced and the self-destructive nature of his creativity.

Alas, the direction was heavy-handed, with a bit too much bombast. In addition, the pacing—something I consider the primary responsibility of the director—was entirely too slow. I felt as though they were trying to get the musical out to 90 minutes, and rather than writing new material, they simply allowed the entire thing to drag.

Overall, though, I hope they can tighten it up; tonight was opening night. It’s nice to see a new subject tackled, with new potential.