Picture Edgar Allan Poe's chilling tale "The Cask of Amontillado" moved from 19th-century Venice to 21st-century Napa Valley. Or the gloomy house of Roderick Usher relocated to the East Village. Will Pomerantz, Bay Street Theater's associate artistic director, has done just that, reimagining three of Poe's thrillers into short plays with contemporary settings, under the title "Awake at Night."
A virtual reading of those plays, directed as well as written by Mr. Pomerantz, will have its world premiere on Tuesday at 7 p.m. A live discussion between the director and the cast, moderated by Scott Schwartz, the theater's artistic director, will follow the performances.
"A Case of Romanee Conti" follows a young programmer who runs into an old boss while visiting a vineyard. In "Through My Flesh," based on Poe's "Ligeia," the wealthy nobleman of the original story is now a professor who tells a young colleague about a mysterious and tragic experience in Istanbul. In "812 East 9th Street," a man recounts his shocking visit to the home of an old boarding school classmate.
Appearing across the three plays will be seven actors with extensive stage and screen experience: Ari Brand, Daniel Gerroll, Michael Levi Harris, Loren Lester, Kevin Orton, Chauncy Thomas, and Teal Wicks.
Tickets are $20 and available from the theater's website.
