Stage Door News

Toronto: White Mills Theatre Co. presents “Tales of the Grotesque” at the Campbell House Museum October 18-November 4

Monday, September 25, 2023

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—while I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, as of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. “’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—only this and nothing more.”

In this haunting adaptation of the works of Edgar Allan Poe, join the visitors of the melancholy House of Usher on a candlelit journey into the macabre. Despite their apprehensions, a stubborn doctor, a resentful medium, and a murderer attend the funeral of an eccentric recluse—only to question the circumstances surrounding her untimely death. As they begin to outstay their welcome, they uncover evidence of a connection between their disturbing pasts and the sinister presence stalking their every move. With their secrets exposed, they must be willing to summon their ghosts to survive the supernatural forces at work, and confront the meddlesome housekeeper who knows more than she claims. An immersive horror opera, Tales of the Grotesque invites visitors to explore Victorian Toronto through the eyes of literature’s most twisted author, and come tapping at the door to the unknown …

From the imaginative team behind Spadina Museum’s sold-out immersive operas, A Christmas Carol (2019) and The Medium (2018), comes this highly anticipated site-specific theatre experience. Harnessing verbatim text, movement, opera and live instrumentation, Tales of the Grotesque explores Poe’s most disturbed characters, including Roderick and Madeline Usher, Annabel Lee, Lenore, Morella, and the iconic raven. Set within the sprawling halls of Toronto’s oldest surviving building, the production is sure to awaken the macabre in us all. Come be immersed in the grotesque world of Edgar Allan Poe, and partake in the experience audiences are calling “bewitching”, “innovative”, and “exquisite”.

White Mills Theatre Co. and Campbell House Museum present

Edgar Allan Poe’s

Tales of the Grotesque

Adaptation by Brandon White

Musical direction by Shannon Mills

Featuring Rob Carruthers, Michelle Danese, Aleksandar Gajic, Rae Gallimore, Scott Garland, Shelby Handley, Austin Larusson, Breanna Maloney, E.C. Mazur, Rachel Miller, Shannon Mills, Nolan Rush, Barb Scheffler, Spencer Schunk, Jonas Trottier, Felicia Valenti, and Michael Williamson

Performing from Oct. 18th-Nov.4th, 2023

Location:

Campbell House Museum

160 Queen Street West

Toronto, ON

M5H 3H3

Performance Dates:

October 18th, 7:30 p.m.

October 20th, 7:30 p.m.

October 21st, 7:30 p.m.

October 22nd, 7:30 p.m.

October 25th, 7:30 p.m.

October 27th, 7:30 p.m.

October 28th, 7:30 p.m.

October 29th, 7:30 p.m.

October 31st, 7:30 p.m.

November 1st, 7:30 p.m.

November 3rd, 7:30 p.m.

November 4th, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets:

Tickets on sale as of Sept. 18th, 2023

Purchase online at www.whitemillstheatreco.com

About White Mills Theatre Co.:

Named after its founders, White Mills Theatre Co. specializes in classical vocal performance and new play development in collaboration with Canadian historic sites. Partnering with the City of Toronto, they are best known for fusing fantasy with history in their immersive adaptations of time-honoured literature—transporting audiences to the turn of the century and transforming them into characters within the story itself.