Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe
Limited Run
October 12-14 & 16
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Performances
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A message from John Sivak, director for our production of "Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe":
I wanted to again highlight something that I feel really makes this show a special experience: on 10/16 at 10 am we will be performing the show on the MAIN STAGE at UIS for area K-12 students, most likely for an audience of around 1,000 people. This is something that I again feel makes this a very cool and special experience for everyone involved because not many people who are involved in community theatre get to do something like this.
Auditions are NEXT WEEKEND June 17 at 10am, click each link below to sign up for a time slot and fill out the audition form for your chance to be a part of it. I look forward to seeing everyone there!
Audition sign up:
Audition form: ... See MoreSee Less
Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe
uispac.com
Step into Edgar Allan Poe’s mind as you see his most famous stories come to life before your eyes. “The Raven”, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, “The Pit and the Pendulum” and “The Te...0 CommentsComment on Facebook
POE FACT OF THE DAY from our Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe Director, John Sivak.
Recent medical theories state that Poe may have suffered from complex partial seizures, prolonged postictal states, or postictal psychosis, or complex partial epilepsy that was complicated or caused by substance abuse. The fact that used the things he experienced during his postictal state in his writing is both inspiring and sad to think when you think of the paranoia and ma is he was experiencing without likely know what was happening to him or why.
I plan to draw on this when shaping the character of Poe for this production in multiple ways, there is so much in Poe’s material and his life that we will able to use for not only Poe but all of the characters in the show. Check out the audition info today and sign up, spaces are already filling up!Reminder .... open auditions for Spencer Theatre Company's NIGHTFALL WITH EDGAR ALLAN POE, written by Eric Coble and directed by John Sivak, will be held Saturday, June 17, 2023, from 10am-1pm at Hoogland Center for the Arts, with callbacks if needed at 4pm. We are looking to cast people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds.
Performance dates and times are Thursday, October 12 at 8pm; Friday, October 13 at 8pm; and Saturday, October 14 at 2pm and 8pm at the Hoogland Center for the Arts. An extended student performance will be held at the UIS Performing Arts Center on Monday, October 16 at 10am, as part of the Elizabeth and Robert Staley Class Acts series. Actors must be available to perform all 5 shows.
Visit to reserve an audition time, and then go to to fill out the audition form. Walk-in auditions are also welcome, but it is encouraged to pre-register.
For a list and description of all available roles, visit . For questions about the show or auditions, or to request a PDF perusal copy of the script, email John Sivak at nightfall102023@gmail.com. ... See MoreSee Less
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Time for another Poe fact from our NIGHTFALL WITH EDGAR ALLAN POE director John Sivak!
The Fall of the House of Usher is the second sonnet in the show - The Fall of the House of Usher shows Poe's ability to create an emotional tone in his work, specifically emphasizing feelings of fear, impending doom, and guilt.[17] These emotions center on Roderick Usher, who, like many Poe characters, suffers from an unnamed disease. Like the narrator in "The Tell-Tale Heart", this disease inflames Roderick's hyperactive senses. The illness manifests physically but is based in Roderick's mental or even moral state.
Auditions are quickly approaching, so make sure you sign up soon if you are planning on being there! See links in the original post below.Reminder .... open auditions for Spencer Theatre Company's NIGHTFALL WITH EDGAR ALLAN POE, written by Eric Coble and directed by John Sivak, will be held Saturday, June 17, 2023, from 10am-1pm at Hoogland Center for the Arts, with callbacks if needed at 4pm. We are looking to cast people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds.
Performance dates and times are Thursday, October 12 at 8pm; Friday, October 13 at 8pm; and Saturday, October 14 at 2pm and 8pm at the Hoogland Center for the Arts. An extended student performance will be held at the UIS Performing Arts Center on Monday, October 16 at 10am, as part of the Elizabeth and Robert Staley Class Acts series. Actors must be available to perform all 5 shows.
Visit to reserve an audition time, and then go to to fill out the audition form. Walk-in auditions are also welcome, but it is encouraged to pre-register.
For a list and description of all available roles, visit . For questions about the show or auditions, or to request a PDF perusal copy of the script, email John Sivak at nightfall102023@gmail.com. ... See MoreSee Less
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Spencer Theatre Company is honored to sponsor this production of "1619: The Journey of a People" at the Hoogland Center for the Arts, produced by the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum on July 1-2. The story portrays when the first enslaved Africans were brought to the shores of this nation. The multi-disciplinary theater experience of 1619: The Journey of a People is expressed through three modern characters in a series of performance pieces that will leave audiences both inspired and challenged about the progress of America’s African sons and daughters. The production of 1619 … features a dynamic cast of singers, actors, spoken word artists, and dancers who reflect on the past while tackling critical contemporary social issues. With an appeal for all ages, this production reminds us that on the other side of the trial lies greatness. There will be a discussion with the audience after the matinee performance. Tickets available at HCFTA.org or by calling the Hoogland box office at 217-523-2787. ... See MoreSee Less
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Spencer Theatre Company is proud to sponsor “1619 The Musical” presented by the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum at the Hoogland Center for the Arts on June 1 & 2. Click below for ticket information! ... See MoreSee Less
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From our director, John Sivak:
Nightfall auditions are coming up soon, check out the information below and sign up for an audition slot!
POE FACT!: The first poem in the show is The Raven, here are some interesting things about this poem: The Raven" is a poem about a man who is heartbroken over the recent death of his beloved Lenore. As he passes a lonely December night in his room, a raven taps repeatedly on the door and then the window. The man first thinks the noise is caused by a late night visitor come to disturb him, and he is surprised to find the raven when he opens the window shutter. After being let in, the raven flies to and lands on a bust of Pallas (an ancient Greek goddess of wisdom). As the man continues to converse with the bird, he slowly loses his grip on reality. he takes the raven's repeated "nevermore" response as a sign that all his dark thoughts are true. He eventually grows angry and shrieks at the raven, calling it a devil and a thing of evil.
The poem ends with the raven still sitting on the bust of Pallas and the narrator, seemingly defeated by his grief and madness, declaring that his soul shall be lifted "nevermore."
The character of the Raven in this show is one of my favorites, I am looking for someone who understands physical movement in effective ways to create dramatic moments and to convey the dark, haunting creature that is steadily driving Poe into madness through the scene, it will be a fun and challenging task to portray this for whoever is cast in this role and I can’t wait.Auditions for Spencer Theatre Company's NIGHTFALL WITH EDGAR ALLAN POE, written by Eric Coble and directed by John Sivak, will be held Saturday, June 17, 2023, from 10am-1pm at Hoogland Center for the Arts, with callbacks if needed at 4pm. We are looking to cast people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds.
Performance dates and times are October 12 and 13th at 8pm, October 14th at 2pm and 8pm, and October 16th at 10am (more on this performance to come). Please note - all persons cast in the show must be available for the 10/16 performance.
Auditions and callbacks will consist of cold readings from the script.
Anyone interested in auditioning can register at for an audition slot, and then go to to fill out the audition form. Walk-in auditions are also welcome, but it is encouraged to pre-register.
For a list and description of all available roles, visit
For questions about the show or auditions, or to request a PDF perusal copy of the script, email to John Sivak at nightfall102023@gmail.com.
We look forward to seeing everyone at auditions! ... See MoreSee Less
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