Poe’s Children

Poe’s Children explores themes of aging, generational trauma, grief, and love through selected poetry of Edgar Allen Poe. Our Multidisciplinary artists, as the imagined offspring of Poe, interpret this piece through music, movement, and dance.

The initial stages of Poe’s Children began in summer 2021 just as in-person theater was returning. Throughout that summer, Christina Rose Ashby and frequent PTC collaborator Crystal-Marie Alberson read poetry and biography’s of Poe. They discussed grief, loss, and love and developed questions to explore in rehearsals. They rehearsed with seven actors as well as musician Thomas Burns Scully where they explored these themes through movement based exercises. At an open rehearsal in October of 2021, it was discovered that the piece deeply resonated with audiences. Not only did it fit the haunting undertones of the Halloween season, but audiences were moved to share their own experiences.

Like most pieces in The Attic Series, Poe’s Children is a work in progress that we are looking to workshop and perform further.

  • A Eulogy for Poe

  • Israfel

  • Anabel Lee

  • A Lasting Memorial

Are You Alice: A New Wonderland Tale

Are You Alice: A New Wonderland Tale started from the desire to retell the stories of Lewis Carroll through a variety of voices and mediums. Through dynamic movement, music, and rhythm-based exercises, the initial workshopping phase explored the text as well as themes of childhood loneliness, loss, and adult expectations.

The first workshop production premiered at the Alchemical Theater Lab in April 2018 for a small invited audience. From there, the show received a residency on Governors Island through the Rising Sun Performance Company in September 2018. Through that workshop production, the script expanded to include more stories from the original text.

In 2019, the show had a short run at The Tank before heading to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August of that year. Each iteration of Are You Alice brought a different rotation of artists who hold a wide variety of talents. The show has adapted to each performance space and has not been performed the same way each time. Are You Alice has delighted and moved audiences both young and old.

  • AYA Version One - Alchemical Theater Lab Spring 2018

  • AYA Version Two - Governor's Island Fall 2018

  • AYA Version Three - The Tank NYC Spring 2019

  • AYA Version Four - Edinburgh Fringe Festival Summer 2019

Life is a Dream: A New Vintage

Life is a Dream: A New Vintage was created in collaboration between PTC and EagerRisk Theater in the Fall of 2015. Adapted by Annie R. Such and directed by Christina Rose Ashby, the play was a bold reimagining of the Calderon classic that featured dynamic movement, original music, and daring stage combat choreography. Christina was joined in rehearsal by Thomas Burns Scully, who organically created the haunting score. Over a two-month-long rehearsal process, the cast explored dream-like states, mortality, and imagination through movement exercises and improvisation. The fully designed show was inspired by the artwork of Joseph Cornell, surrealism, and German expressionism.

  • Shadows

  • Dreams

  • Fear

  • Hate