GREENEVILLE – One of the newer events at Tusculum University, which has developed a following in the region, will be back with more exciting short-form plays and plenty of opportunities to socialize and support student organizations.
Actors perform a scene during “Edgar Allan Poe and Other Stories in the Woods” in 2023.
“Edgar Allan Poe and Other Stories in the Woods” provides a great opportunity to see local talent perform in short plays, such as these actors at the 2023 event.
“Edgar Allan Poe and Other Stories in the Woods” will be held Friday, Oct. 25, and Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Doak House Museum. Gates open at 5:45 p.m. and the plays begin at 6:30 p.m. each day. The Theatre-at-Tusculum event will feature five plays lasting 10-12 minutes each, and participants will have an opportunity to see all of them because they will be repeated five times.
Student clubs will sell concessions as a fundraiser for their activities.
“Community members throughout the region thoroughly enjoy this event, and we encourage people to purchase their tickets now,” said Steve Schultz, director of Tusculum Arts Outreach, who is helping oversee the production. “This is a great way to spend an evening outdoors with great entertainment performed by talented actors and created by wonderful writers and directors. We are also thrilled to support our student organizations with their concessions to support their collegiate experience.”
Here are the plays:
- “STILL,” written by Tusculum alumna Serina Marshall and directed by senior Josie Norton
- “Knock, Knock,” written by freshman Izzy Wilson and directed by Edward Breese, Tusculum’s marketing director
- “Eyes in the Woods: A Mothman Legend,” written by Shelly Skelly-Ramos and directed by Andy Ross, both of whom are local theater veterans who have participated in Tusculum productions
- “Reunion,” written by Jack Truman, a Walters State Community College theater professor, and directed by Schultz
- “The Raven,” written by Poe and directed by Skelly-Ramos
“Everything is written, adapted, performed and directed by local talent,” Schultz said. “There are strong ties to Greene County and to Tusculum in all the plays, and I’m incredibly proud to bring all these different local voices together.”
He said virtually all of the actors will be students participating in Tusculum Young Actors Studio or their parents. Young Actors Studio is a program at Tusculum led by Schultz for those who are 8-18 years old and are interested in the arts. It enhances literacy and communication skills among youth and integrates theatrical practices into education.
Actors perform one of the plays during “Edgar Allan Poe and Other Stories in the Woods” in 2023.
Actors perform on the grounds of the Doak House Museum during “Edgar Allan Poe and Other Stories in the Woods” in 2023.
Each play will be performed every 25 minutes starting at 6:30 p.m. The time between each showing will give guests an opportunity to visit the student concessions and other vendors and have time for conversation.
“We welcome everyone to join us at the Doak House Museum to experience the ambience of the historic structure and the lovely grounds,” said Dr. Peter Noll, professor of public history and museum studies, who oversees that part of campus. “In recent years, we have made a concerted effort to invite people to visit the Doak House and enjoy this beautiful setting. We love to engage with the community because our friends and neighbors are important part of the university’s success.”
The Doak House is a nonprofit educational institution established as a museum in 1975. In about 1830, the Rev. Samuel Witherspoon Doak, who co-founded Tusculum Academy with his father, the Rev. Samuel Doak, built the house.
The entry cost for “Edgar Allan Poe and Other Stories in the Woods” is $10. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.onthestage.tickets/tusculum-university. The rain dates are Sunday, Oct. 27, and Monday, Oct. 28.
“Edgar Allan Poe and Other Stories in the Woods” is supported in part by a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission. It is also supported by the Katherine Davis Moore and Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Davis Foundation Fund.
Additional information about Tusculum’s Center for the Arts is available at https://site.tusculum.edu/center-for-the-arts/. To learn more about the university, please visit www.tusculum.edu.