"GAS" written by Alfred Hitchcock

GAS is a (very) short story written by Alfred Hitchcock when he was 20 years-old.

During Hitchcock's formative years as a young man, before he embarked on a career in motion pictures, he was a voracious reader of crime fiction and true-crime tales. One of his favorite authors was Edgar Allan Poe.

In a magazine article in the 1960s, Hitchcock recounted how Poe's proto-detective story Murders in the Rue Morgue made a deep impression. Hitchcock was particularly struck by the simplicity of Poe's short stories, how they provoked emotion in the reader and made their effects simply and directly, with just enough plausibility and character to allow the reader to enter the writer's world and be immersed in the drama and suspense.

Hitchcock, in his late teens during World War One, worked for a telegraph cable company called Henley's. While employed there as a draftsman and advertising designer, making illustrations and cartoons, he contributed several pieces of creative writing to the in-house company publication, called The Henley Telegraph. His very first pieces of fiction ever, Gas, was included in the premiere issue of The Henley Telegraph. He would contribute many more pieces of short fiction before leaving Henley's and going to work in the nascent British film industry.

LISTEN TO GAS HERE.

"GAS" (1919)
By Alfred Hitchcock
Performed by Mark Redfield
Announcer: Mary Anne Perry
Music: Lee David
Recording Engineer/Technical Director is Bill Dickson of Drat Productions.
Running time: 4m10sec

Copyright Mark Redfield & Damfino Media.

THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO starring Mark Redfield and Chris Pfingsten

THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO
Poe Forevermore Radio Theater

starring Mark Redfield as Montresor and Chris Pfingsten as Fortunato. Adaptation by Tony Tsendeas.

Listen and download it for FREE

Recorded before a live audience.

More Poe Forevermore Radio Theater HERE

The Cask of Amontillado with Mark Redfield and Chris Pfingsten.

Recorded before a live audience at the Baltimore Theatre Project, THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO stars Mark Redfield as Montresor and Chris Pfingsten as Fortunato. The play was adapted from Poe's short story and directed by Tony Tsendeas. Mike Moran created the live sound effects and Dave Crandall created the electronic ambience. Music by Jennfer Rouse and the audio engineer is Bill Dickson of Drat Productions.

THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO was recorded before a live audience at The Baltimore Theatre Project on Halloween night, 2013.

Poe Forevermore Radio Theater brings you adaptations of contemporary and classic tales of mystery, horror and the imagination. The series is produced and hosted by its creator Mark Redfield.

Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" was published in November 1846, in Godey's Lady's Book. This performance of Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" was recorded before a live audience on June 22nd, 2013 at Westminster Hall Burial Grounds, in Baltimore, Maryland, where Edgar Allan Poe is buried.

Cast & Crew
"Montresor" is played by Mark Redfield
"Fortunato" is played by Chris Pfingsten
Announcer: Chris Pfingsten
Adapted and Directed by Tony Tsendeas
Sound Design is by David Crandall.
Sound Effects: Mike Moran
Music: Jennifer Rouse
Album art design: Jennifer Rouse
Recording Engineer/Technical Director is Bill Dickson of Drat Productions.

THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO is a new adaptation, written and directed by Tony Tsendeas especially for Poe Forevermore Radio Theater.

"The Cask of Amontillado" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in the November 1846 issue of Godey's Lady's Book.

Poe Forevermore Radio Theater is produced by Mark Redfield and Damfino Media, publisher of Poe Forevermore Magazine. Poe Forevermore and Poe Forevermore Radio Theater are distinctive trademarks of Damfino Media.

ALSO! You can purchase THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO starring JOHN ASTIN (Gomez Addams from "The Addams Family") as Montresor and MARK REDFIELD as Fortunato from iTunes! GET IT HERE TODAY

Copyright Mark Redfield & Damfino Media.

POE FOREVERMORE RADIO THEATER WINS RONDO AWARD!

 Poe Forevermore Radio Theater won the 12th Annual Rondo Award for "Best Multimedia or Podcast".

Thanks to all of you who voted for us!
The complete list of Rondo Award winners is here:
www.rondoaward.com

Thanks to all of the actors, writers, directors, musicians. technicians and graphic artists who have made the launch of Poe Forevermore Radio Theater successful.

Current titles are found here: http://www.poeforevermore.com/poe-radio.html

Building a library of audio plays and books at
www.poeforevermore.com
Tales of Mystery & Imagination

Happy Mother's Day, Sunday, May 11th, 2014

Sonnet — To My Mother.
BY EDGAR A. POE.

Because I feel that, in the heavens above,
The angels, whispering to one another,
Can find, among their burning terms of love,
None so devotional as that of 'mother' —
Therefore by that sweet name I long have called you —
You, who are more than mother unto me,
And fill my heart of hearts, where Death installed you,
In setting my Virginia's spirit free.
My mother — my own mother — who died early —
Was but the mother of myself; but you
Are mother to the one I loved so dearly,
And thus are dearer than the mother I knew;
By that infinity with which my wife
Was dearer to my soul than its soul-life.

In today's short poem, Poe addresses his aunt, Maria Clemm Poe, his beloved "Muddy", who became something of the mother he never had...
Happy Mother's Day!

-Mark Redfield
11 May, 2014





All original text and art © Mark Redfield. All Right Reserved.

CASTING CALL FOR THE AUDIO DRAMA--"ALONE: THE LIFE OF POE"

Just a heads up to all of my actor friends: I'm beginning to assemble the company of voice actors for the Edgar Allan Poe biography ALONE: THE LIFE OF POE.

The audio drama is incredibly extensive and has dozens of characters. The biography covers the 40 years of Poe's life, and episodes before his birth and after his death. The length of the audio drama is 10 hours, or 20, thirty-minute chapters. Fully dramatized with music and sound effects. The audioplay will be recorded in Maryland.

I'm primarily looking for very realistic regional accents, (men and women). Regional accents include characters who are convincing in their Irish, British (various dialects), American Southern (Virginia), New England (Boston) accents and dialects.

If you're interested in being considered for a role (or roles, if you can do multiple voices and/or accents) please send an MP3 demo to:
info@poeforevemore.com
(Subject line: Poe drama)

The play will begin recording in mid-to-late July, 2014, for an October, 2014, debut. Positions are compensated. Travel negotiated.

Thanks! Pass the word along to your actor friends!
-Mark Redfield 
8 May, 2014

Poe Forevermore Radio Theater nominated "Best Multi Media Horror" in RONDO AWARDS! Please vote for us!

I'm very happy that the audio plays and books I'm producing under the banner POE FOREVERMORE RADIO THEATER has been nominated this year for a Rondo Award in the "Best Multi Media Horror" category!

Please take a moment and vote for Poe Forevermore Radio Theater. Basic rules and instructions ar ebelow, and voting only takes a few minutes.

There is just a week left to vote in  the TWELFTH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS.
 

Balloting ends at midnight the night of Sunday, MAY 5, 2014. (If you have already voted this year, feel free to forward the ballot to a friend).

  — TO VOTE:  Simply ballot the ballot from the Rondo website HERE. or cut-and-paste works fine; or type a list, and send an e-mail with your picks to, David Colton, at taraco@aol.com by Sunday night at midnight, May 5, 2014.

  -- Every e-mail must include your name to be counted.  All votes are kept strictly confidential. No e-mail addresses or personal information will ever be shared with anyone. And no, you do not have to vote in every category.

 So, please take a moment and vote for POE FOREVERMORE RADIO THEATER today, in category # 23 BEST MULTIMEDIA HORROR The ballot is here: www.rondoaward.com

Check out POE FOREVERMORE RADIO THEATER frequently as we add new titles of audio plays and audio books weekly. Poe Forevermore Radio Theater is HERE.

Thank you for taking the time to vote for us and support our work!
-Mark Redfield
25 April, 2014

National Poetry Month, April 2014 THE RAVEN by Poe, recited by Mark Redfield

 April, 2014 has been National Poetry Month, and as I've been working on the script and the pre-production chores of the audioplay biography of Edgar Allan Poe called ALONE: THE LIFE OF POE, I've been posting daily recordings of the poet's poems.

I should have been posting them here as well, but, well, I haven't. So, along with other entries in the coming months, I'll be posting a Poe poem here once-a-week.
 
Here's Poe's famous poem THE RAVEN, which made him something of a rock star when it was published in his lifetime, in 1845.

Enjoy the doom and gloom!

-Mark Redfield
24, April, 2014

HELPING THE POE HOUSE IN BALTIMORE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

HELPING THE POE HOUSE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

MY performance of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Incidental music by Bill Dickson. 100% of the profits of the purchase of this mp3 will be donated to The Poe House in Baltimore in 2013.

For download for ipod, ipad, and iphone and other devices. But really for your entertainment this holiday season!

My reading performance of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" runs approximately 1 hour. I used the cutting that Dickens used for public reading. The download is $4.99 (CDBabay takes a small cut) and the profits will be donated to The Poe House in Baltimore next year.

About the recording:

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
performed by Mark Redfield, music by Bill Dickson

Since 1843, A Christmas Carol has delighted millions around the globe and has come to embody the spirit of Christmas for all who have been touched by its magic. Your favorite characters come vividly to life in this rich performance by Mark Redfield. With wonderful music by Bill Dickson, gather ’round this holiday season to hear the beauty and timeless art that is Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

"Redfield's meticulous diction, perceptive phrasing, excellent transitions and impeccable timing make his Scrooge the finest we have heard. His is a classic interpretation that is almost Shakespearean."
- The Baltimore Sun

Thank you, and I hope that you enjoy it. It's one of my favorite stories!


ORDER IT HERE http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/markredfield

Poe Forevermore Magazine

INSIDE OUR PREMIERE ISSUE!
-Mystery, horror and science fiction the way you like it!
-New Fiction by Rafael Alvarez, David Gerrold, Larry Blamire and others!
-Poe House Writing Contest Winners!
-A World Premiere English Translation of a fiery story by Stefan Grabinski, translated by Miroslaw Lipinski!
-We extract Poe’s “Berenice” with features and articles that examine what remains!
-An interview with Stephen Rebello, author of “Alfred Hitchcock and the making of PSYCHO”, about his research and the new movie starring Anthony Hopkins!
-“Comfort on the Seine” by Stephen Volk. Wherein a young Sherlock Holmes meets an old Auguste Dupin—and reveals one of Poe’s greatest secrets!
OUR COVER ART “Poe’s Progeny” is by Cortney Skinner.

All this and more in our premiere issue of POE FOREVERMORE: TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION!

POE FOREVERMORE MAGAZINE is published by Damfino Media, Mark Redfield (Publisher and Editor)

SUBSCRIBE NOW! HERE

"TISH! THAT'S FRENCH!" (John Astin as Gomez) by Mark Redfield (2012)

This large cartoon of John Astin as "Gomez" is offered for auction as a fundraiser for The Poe House and Museum in Baltimore. Signed by the artist, Mark Redfield, and autographed by Mr. Astin, it comes to the winner framed, as shown.

Mark Redfield and John Astin, March, 2012

John Astin has been a friend for a few years now, and this large cartoon of him as Gomez Addams from the TV show "The Addams Family", was displayed at an event called "Poe Forevermore" in Baltimore, Maryland on March 3rd, 2012, at a fundraiser for The Poe House and Museum in Baltimore.

In 2010, the City of Baltimore eliminated the funding of the Poe House and Museum, and Mr. Astin and I (with many, many others) have been doing all we can to keep the doors of the Poe House open to the public! All proceeds from the auction of this painting will go to the Poe House.

Mr. Astin has been a long-time supporter of the Poe House, performing readings for events, and has played Edgar Allan Poe in his own one-,man show. Mr. Astin autographed the cartoon of "Gomez" just above the shoulder (as seen in the accompanying photo).

 

John Astin autographs "Gomez", March, 2012

The original acrylic painting measures 24"x30". The measurements of the framed painting is approximately 33 1/2" x 39 1/2".

On behalf of The Poe House, John Astin and myself, that you for bidding on this item, and thank you for your support of the Poe House and Museum in Baltimore!

-Mark Redfield

The auction is HERE.

Information about the Poe House and Museum in Baltimore is HERE.

MONSTERPALOOZA MAGAZINE'S POE-PALOOZA!

http://www.monsterpaloozamag.com/news.html#poepalooza

POE-PALOOZA starts Sunday, January 15th, 2012  on the Monsterpalooza Magazine facebook page! 

In honor of Edgar Allan Poe's birthday on January 19th, 2012, we'll be posting about the great, influential writer ALL WEEK--on the facebook page and on the website! 

And CONTESTS! What's a birthday party without presents and party favors? Seven days--seven contests--and the rules are simple: open to anyone on the planet; just watch for a contest question each day and be the first to answer correctly and you win! Great prizes--books, posters, DVDs and other Poe-related stuff! 

Let's get the Poe Party started!

VINCENT PRICE POSTER NOW AVAILABLE!

• Monsterpalooza Magazine is offering this beautiful, exclusive poster of the great Vincent Price!
  Printed on high-quality, glossy poster stock, it measures 18" x 24" and is perfect for framing.
  This rare, candid photo of the actor visiting Edgar Allan Poe's grave at the Westminster Burial Grounds was taken by Jeff Jerome, the curator of the Poe House and Museum in Baltimore, when Mr. Price was on tour with his one-man show Diversions and Delights, in 1977. Not seen for 34 years until it was published in the pages of the premiere issue of Monsterpalooza Magazine, readers began asking immediately if a poster could be made available--and now it is!
  While in Baltimore on tour, Mr. Price stopped at Westminster Hall to pay his respects at Poe's grave, and paid a visit to the near-by Poe House and Museum. While at the Poe House, the veteran actor, known for his wonderful portrayals of Poe's heroes and villains in the AIP/Corman films, was quoted as saying, "This place gives me the creeps!"
  
  
  
  
  
  Fans of Vincent Price and Poe will love this poster, and a portion of every sale (after production, shipping and handling costs) will be donated by Damfino Media to help support the Poe House and Museum in Baltimore, keeping it's doors open so that the public may enjoy the historic site, as it is currently under the threat of closure by the City of Baltimore, after they cut the funding to sustain the House in 2010. (To find out more about the Poe House and Museum in Baltimore please visit www.poeforevermore.com)
  
  Celebrate the Vincentennial and support the Poe House and Museum! Get one for yourself, and one for the Price and Poe fan who you know will want to display this poster in a place of honor-- before they're all gone!
  
  Your VINCENT PRICE POSTER comes rolled in a sturdy cardboard tube for shipping, which is included in the cost of $19.95.
  
  Makes a great gift for birthdays, special occasions--and for the holidays!
  
  
• Cost includes mailing tube, shipping & handling. Please allow 10-14 days after processing your payment. etc. Use the PayPal shopping cart or send check or money order in US funds to
  

• DAMFINO MEDIA
  P.O. Box 19428
  Baltimore, Maryland 21206
  USA

• Make check or money-order payable to Damfino Media
  
  BUY IT NOW DIRECT FROM THE PUBLISHER HERE!
  

POE'S FRIGHTFUL HALLOWEEN--BALTIMORE OCT. 30, 2011!

 

POE’S FRIGHTFUL HALLOWEEN!
At Westminster Hall
519 W. Fayette Street Baltimore, Maryland 21201 (corner of Fayette and Greene Streets)
Sunday, October 30, 2011 6PM to 9PM

$10 (adults) ($3.00, 12 & under). No advance ticket sales. Tickets available at the door on the night of the event. (Cash or checks only. Sorry, we cannot accept credit cards at this time)

Continuous Live Entertainment!

Party with Poe as he plays Ghost Host With The Most at the most ghoulish and ghastly fun event this Halloween!

All proceeds go to support THE POE HOUSE AND MUSEUM IN BALTIMORE!

Listen...

...to undead music by THE WESTMINSTER HALL RESURRECTIONIST QUARTET!

Laugh...

...like maniacs to the improv comedy of THE CRYPT KICKER COMEDY TROUPE!

Thrill...

...as your host Edgar Allan Poe introduces special guest H.P. Lovecraft—who will read The Rats in the Walls! Live!

Shriek...

...in horror at the The Tell Tale Heart performed by Mark Redfield!

Poe’s creeptacular COSTUME CONTEST! Prizes given!

Free cider, popcorn and Halloween treats! Walk the catacombs and the graveyard! It’ll be a night to remember!

Added attractions include:
Lauren Silberman reading wicked tales of old Baltimore from her new book “Wicked Baltimore”. Signed copies by the author will be available for purchase.
By special arrangement with author Ahmet Zappa (son of Frank Zappa) his children's book “The Monstrous Memoirs of Mighty McFearless” will be available for purchase!
Mark Redfield will display new cartoon art and his new publication Monsterpalooza Magazine will be on sale—perfect for Halloween!

And remember! Proceeds go to support the Poe House and Museum in Baltimore! We thank you for your support and generosity!

Please note that the program is subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control. No alcohol will be served or will be allowed on the premises. Children are welcome (under 12 is $3) but must be accompanied by an adult. Costume contest note: proper footwear is required on the premises ay all times, and no weapons (swords, etc) will be allowed.

SEE YOU AT WESTMONSTER HALL, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 6-9 PM!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Click the link below for more info and directions!

POEFOREVERMORE!

BALTIMORE: MEET “THE RAVEN” DIRECTOR JAMES McTEIGUE AND STAR LUKE EVANS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011 AT WESTMINSTER HALL!

BALTIMORE: MEET “THE RAVEN” DIRECTOR JAMES McTEIGUE AND STAR LUKE EVANS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011 AT WESTMINSTER HALL!

Luke Evans (Clash of the Titans, The Hobbit), star of Relativity Media’s highly-anticipated film The Raven and the film’s director James McTeigue (V For Vendetta) to pay special honor at Baltimore’s Westminster Hall on the 162^nd Anniversary of the death of Edgar Allan Poe. Come on out on Friday and support The Poe House and Museum, and show your love for Poe!

On Friday, October 7^th, 2011 Poe and film fans are invited at noon, promptly, on a first come, first admitted basis. Meet one of the stars and the director of The Raven and participate in a Question and Answer session about the up-coming film. A wreath-laying presentation at Poe’s grave will take place at 2:30pm.

Westminster Hall, where Edgar Allan Poe is buried, is located at 519 West Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. This event is free and open to the public. Limited space available, so arrive promptly at noon. First come, first admittance. 

About The Raven: In this gritty thriller, Edgar Allan Poe (John Cusack, Being John Malkovich) joins forces with a young Baltimore detective (Luke Evans, Immortals) to hunt down a mad serial killer who’s using Poe’s own works as the basis in a string of brutal murders. Directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta), the film also stars Alice Eve (Sex and the City 2), Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges) and Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Faster). The Raven opens nationwide on March 9, 2012.

About Edgar Allan Poe: Edgar Allan Poe (19 January 1809 - 7 October, 1849) was an American author, poet, editor and critic. Best known for his Gothic and horror stories and poems, Poe championed the short story as a literary form, contributed to the growing science fiction genre emerging in his day, and is the inventor of the modern "detective story" as we now know it. Poe lived a brief life of continued financial hardship sparked by flares of creative and critical success. Born in Boston to David and Elizabeth Poe, working actors, his father's disappearance and mother's premature death forced him into a pseudo-adoption by John Allan of Virginia, where he grew to consider himself a "Southern Gentleman" for the remainder of his life. As a student at West Point, poetry captured his fervent imagination, and he became a writer, winning his first monetary prize for his writing in Baltimore, Maryland. Shuttling between Richmond, Philadelphia and New York through-out his turbulent life, jumping between newspaper and magazine editorial jobs while gaining notoriety for his Gothic short stories, Baltimore became more of a home for him than other cities. His paternal grandfather and brother lived in Baltimore, and it was in Baltimore that he lived for many years with his Aunt, Maria Clemm, whom he considered more than anything else to be his "mother", and his child-bride, Virginia. It is in Baltimore that he died under mysterious circumstances in the autumn of 1849, and it is in Baltimore where he is buried, along-side Clemm and Virginia Poe.
 

On the Anniversary of Poe's Death, October 7, 2011

Edgar Allan Poe (19 January 1809 - 7 October, 1849) was an American author, poet, editor and critic. Best know for his Gothic and horror stories and poems, Poe championed the short story as a literary form, contributed to the growing science fiction genre emerging in his day, and is the inventor of the modern "detective story" as we now know it. 

Poe lived a brief life of continued financial hardship sparked by flares of creative and critical success. Born in Boston to David and Elizabeth Poe, working actors, his father's disappearance and mother's premature death forced him into a pseudo-adoption by John Allan of Virginia, where he grew to consider himself a "Southern Gentleman" for the remainder of his life. 

As a student at West Point, poetry captured his fervent imagination, and he became a writer, winning his first monetary prize for his writing in Baltimore, Maryland. Shuttling between Richmond, Philadelphia and New York through-out his turbulent life, jumping between newspaper and magazine editorial jobs while gaining notoriety for his Gothic short stories, Baltimore became more of a home for him than other cities. His paternal grandfather and brother lived in Baltimore, and it was in Baltimore that he lived for many years with his Aunt, Maria Clemm, whom he considered more than anything else to be his "mother", and his child-bride, Virginia. It is in Baltimore that he died under mysterious circumstances in the autumn of 1849, and it is in Baltimore where he his buried, along-side Clemm and Virginia Poe.

Order Mark Redfield in The Death of Poe HERE. 

The Poe House and Museum in Baltimore: FOREVERMORE, Print Sale And Artist's Reception Benefit

FOREVERMORE
An event & installation celebrating the gift of 100 signed prints by artist, Gaia to benefit Baltimore’s Poe House & Museum

MICA trained artist, Gaia, has generously donated a numbered special edition of his print, The Raven (Forevermore) for a sale to benefit Baltimore’s Poe House & Museum so that they may continue to keep their doors open.  There will be a Preview & Print Sale gallery event
at Urbanite@Case[werks] and hosted by Baltimore Heritage on the eve of Artscape 2011, July 14^th from 6 to 8 pm.  To attend the Preview, please RSVP.  An Artist’s Reception will follow from 8-10 pm to celebrate the gift with an installation by the artist and is open to all.

THE RAVEN (FOREVERMORE), 2011 by Gaia. Block print on Mulberry paper, 66x91 cm
(26 x 35.8 inches)

Actor John Astin will host the event, and introduce the artist, Gaia. Later in the evening, Tony Tsendeas will perform a reading of Poe's famous poem, The Raven.

Only 100 prints will be offered at a cost of $400 each with all proceeds going directly to the Poe House & Museum.  Framed prints (per the artist’s specification) will also be available for $600.  Sales tax and/or shipping is additional.

Urbanite@Case[werks]
1501 St Paul Street, Suite 116 (Railway Express Building)
Baltimore, MD  21202
urbanite@casewerks.com
410-332-4160

Sponsor:

• The William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, creator of the Baker Artist Awards.

Event Organizers:

• Artist, Gaia
• Baltimore Office for Promotion and the Arts (BOPA)
• Baltimore Heritage
• Baltimore City Commission for Historical & Architectural Preservation (CHAP)
• Case[werks], LLC
• Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)
• Station North Arts & Entertainment District (SNEAD)
• URBANITE Magazine

For more information about this very special project, visit www.poeforevermore.com or contact the gallery via email, urbanite@casewerks.com.

Vincent Price: Happy 100th to The Master of Mayhem!

The Poe House and Museum Tribute to Vincent Price. Screened at the Poe January Birthday event in 2011 at Westminster Hall, Baltimore. Includes stills of Price visiting Poe's grave in 1977. Price and Poe. Perfect.

Written by Max Berring. Edited by Sean Paul Murphy. Narrated by Mark Redfield.

3rd ANNUAL POE WINE TASTING EVENT AT WESTMINSTER HALL IN BALTIMORE

3RD ANNUAL THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO WINE TASTING AMONG THE BONES

Join us on Saturday, March 12, 2011 from noon to 4PM at Westminster Hall in Baltimore of our 3rd Annual CASK OF AMONTILLADO WINE TASTING AMONG THE BONES!

CONTINUOUS ENTERTAINMENT through-out the day while you sample great wines from WOODHALL WINE CELLARS! Also returning this year is Baltimore’s popular RAVEN BEER!

LEARN ABOUT THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF WINES!The ever-popular LAURIE FORSTER,THE WINE COACH returns to give a spirited talk on wines, and Poe House favorites DAVID KELTZ and TONY TSENDEAS will be LIVE performing selections from Poe’s poems and stories!

THE DROP THREE COMEDY IMPROV TROUPE will be presented for the first time at this event, performing multiple times through-out the day. DROP THREE plucks THE RAVEN, drains A KEG OF ARMADILLOES, and patently parodies Poe with love and laughter!

BRING YOUR CAMERA and have your picture taken with POE, or with your host MONTRESSOR, with YOU dressed as FORTUNATO, or BOTH!

MARK REDFIELD will be showing new POE-INSPIRED ART with new drawings, cartoons and painting for sale! And rounding out the festival atmosphere will be a return engagement of SADIRA, brought back by popular demand because YOU asked for her, with her exciting display of ORIENTAL DANSI—it’s educational AND entertaining! SADIRA will also offering fortune-telling sessions, along with THE MYSTERIOUS MYKITA, who see’s all and tells all!

DATE AND TICKET INFO: Saturday, March 12, Noon to 4PM. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for “designated drivers”, at the door. Cash and checks accepted. Sorry we CANNOT ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS. Admission includes 3 wine samples and all entertainment. Additional wine samples may be purchased. Children under ten not admitted.

Come for the wine and the friends! Stay all day for the entertainment!

More info and directions HERE!

SAVE THE POE HOUSE AND MUSEUM IN BALTIMORE!

The City of Baltimore has cut the funding to The Poe House and Museum and the date set to close the house to the public, unless the city reverses its course, in June, 2012.

I've created a petition that is being signed by people from all over the world who care about the situation and the works and life of Edgar Allan Poe.

Here is the text of the petition. I hope that after you read it, you'll go to the petition site, sign it, and share the petition with your friends on facebook, twitter, blogs and websites. We must create awareness, and let the powers that be in Baltimore know they are making a mistake, and that they must KEEP THE POE HOUSE OPEN AND FUNDED!

The text of the petition:

To the Honorable Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, of Baltimore City

We, the undersigned, the citizens of Baltimore City, friends and visitors of Baltimore City, and people from around the world who hold Edgar Allan Poe in the highest regard as one of the key and most important figures in American literature,

NOW look to your bold leadership to

STOP the financially wasteful process of engaging a consultant or consultancy agency to force the Poe House and Museum in Baltimore to close or become “self-sustaining”; to

REVERSE the short-sighted decision to cut the funding of the Poe House and Museum in Baltimore in June, 2012; and to

CONTINUE to fund the Poe House and Museum in Baltimore. Now, beyond 2012, and in the future.

The Poe House is, itself physically, a little thing. As a “line item” in the City’s annual budget, it is a small thing (at current levels, only $80,000.00 to operate). Most museums and historic sites cannot survive as “self-sustaining”. But the rewards it brings to Baltimore is great. In terms of public relations and tourism, it is very great. In terms our culture and heritage, the rewards are immeasurable.

We are not here to do what has been done before. Past administrations have made regrettable, short-sighted mistakes by cutting the funding of many, now gone forever, Baltimore museums and historic landmarks. In hard economic times, times that all American cities face, we must not pawn our history for short-term gains. We must lead. Baltimore must shine a light, where others turn to darkness. Let us do the right thing, and not suffer shame and embarrassment in the eyes of the world.

Edgar Allan Poe is a giant in American Literature and its history. He is a “son of Baltimore”. His fans and devotees around the globe look to Baltimore, his final resting place, and especially the Poe House and Museum, as fixed beacons of his life and work. We must not let them down.

We look to your wise and forward-thinking leadership at this time TO CONTINUE THE CARE AND FINANCING OF THE POE HOUSE IN BALTIMORE, and thank you in advance for your decision to take action.

Sincerely,

THE UNDERSIGNED

The link to the petition is HERE. Thanks for getting involved and helping!

-Mark Redfield

2011 Edgar Allan Poe Birthday Celebration in Baltimore, with a Tribute to Vincent Price

  

The 2011 Poe Birthday Celebration in Baltimore is shaping up nicely. Last year for the birthday celebration I co-produced the East Coast premiere of the Jeffrey Combs one-man play Nevermore, directed by Stuart Gordon. You can order tickets for the 2011 event HERE.

I'm scripting the Vincent Price Tribute now, a short film, and will post some more news as things develop.