One aspect of Utah culture that might surprise foreigners is how much we love Halloween and all things spooky. This certainly is true amongst theatre-goers with all kinds of great shows to see that are perfect for this fright-filled time of year. New at West Valley Arts is a 4 part play called Nightfall which will be the perfect choice for someone who wants horror themed theatre with an Edgar Allen Poe approach.

Poe is of course the 19th century poet and author who wrote mysteries and Gothic influenced tales of suspense. In Nightfall writer Eric Coble takes 4 of Poe’s most famous stories and a cast of 6 acts them out for us to enjoy. The 4 stories are The Raven, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum, and The Tell-Tale Heart. I do think it helps the audience follow along with the segments better if they have some familiarity with the stories but I still enjoyed each story as a stand-alone gothic tale. My favorite was probably The Tell-Tale Heart perhaps because it was the last and I was more used to the style of the segments but also it is the most straightforward of the stories.

The cast is all great with them having to show a range of characters and emotions. Christian Johnston plays Poe, Armando Serrano as Usher, with Sofia Paredes-Kendrick standing out as the Raven. The production is directed by Rob Fernandez-Rosa and he really brings all the elements together well and uses the space more effectively than some of the other productions I’ve seen at WVA this year. The sound design by Kieran Morrison is very impressive particularly in The Tell-Tale Heart as the ticking of the clock and beat of the heart is so essential to the story. I also really enjoyed the costumes by Kelsey Nichols particularly for The Raven as they were 19th century period appropriate but had whimsy necessary to sell the characters.

I don’t know if there was a problem the night I attended because the intermission felt exorbitantly long, which I don’t know if there needs to be an intermission for such a short straight play to begin with. There were also a few technical glitches mostly with the microphones but nothing that hampered my enjoyment. Like I said, this experience will be more gratifying if the audience has some familiarity with the Poe stories so I would at least read the synopsis on the program before attending.

Other than that Nightfall is a fun dive into Victorian era spooky storytelling. The acting is great. It surrounds the viewer in the world of Poe’s stories which is a lot of fun. Nightfall is playing through November 1st and tickets can be purchased here. It’s honestly my 2nd favorite show I’ve seen at WVA this year after Hunchback. The production is rated PG-13 and viewer discretion is advised.

Nightfall is adapted by Eric Coble based on 4 tales by Edgar Allen Poe: The Raven, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum, and The Tell-Tale Heart.

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