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Jeffrey Combs’ one-man Poe extends Halloween in Hollywood
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By Jordan R. Young, LA/OC Theatre Examiner
Haven’t quite had your fill of Halloween, despite the fact that Thanksgiving is virtually upon us? Opportunities to visit the dark side are still tapping at your chamber door, if you get a move on.
“Nevermore,” Jeffrey Combs’ striking solo portrait of Edgar Allan Poe, has been running for months at the Steve Allen Theatre (at The Center for Inquiry) in Hollywood. With the news of its definite closing December 19, I decided last weekend to check it out, and see for myself why this show has been extended repeatedly.
At first this appears to be a classic one-man show on the order of Hal Holbrook in “Mark Twain Tonight!,” with Combs/Poe offering to read selections from his work. Pretty much what you’d expect. The evening holds more promise when it becomes apparent the author can’t function without a frequent nip from a bottle in the pocket of his jacket; soon he’s having trouble staying upright, and threatening to fall into the laps of unfortunate theatergoers seated in the front row.
There’s method to this Poe’s madness, thanks to Dennis Paoli’s cleverly crafted script and Stuart Gordon’s deft direction. For only when he’s drunk can he say what he really thinks, about arch rival Henry Wadsworth Longfellow among other subjects. Regardless of your preconceived notions on solo performance, I recommend a visit to “Nevermore”—Combs' intoxicated rendition of “The Bells” is worth the price of admission by itself. Call 800-595-4TIX for information.
It’s closing weekend for Marla Ladd’s production of "Dracula" at Mysterium in Orange—where the veteran director has already proved magic can happen in a storefront black box. Through November 29; 714-602-7975.
Meanwhile, Black Friday marks opening weekend for “Borneo Bob,” a comedy about a grad student from Borneo who happens to be a cannibal—stop, I’m getting hungry already—at STAGEStheatre in Fullerton. Through December 20; 714-525-4484.
And Saturday marks the opening of South Coast Repertory’s 30th annual production of “A Christmas Carol.” In fact, I just sat in on a rehearsal—stay tuned for a report. Through December 26; 714-708-5555.
Bird’s the word…
Photo by Ward Boult: Jeffrey Combs as Edgar Allan Poe in "Nevermore" at the Steve Allen Theater.
Check out Jordan’s website: www.actingsolo.com.
More from Jordan:
LA Theatre 101: What’s on at Actor’s Gang, LA’s smaller stages this fall?
LA Theatre 101: What’s up at Ahmanson Theatre for 2009-2010?
Show-biz bookshelf: The art of clowning, Moliere translations, Jewish theatre
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