For Edgar Allan Poe, tragedy and sorrow were as omnipresent in the world as on the page. Throughout his lamentably short life (Poe died in 1849 at age 40), he mastered the macabre as an outlet for the cruelties he experienced, using his stories to foretell the terrible price of arrogance, obsession, and greed. It is that same chilling energy that has taken up residence as A Midnight Dreary by We Happy Few transforms the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) into an interactive and twisted look into the tormented chaos of Poe’s mind.
Using not one but three Poes to bring not one but three eerie stories to life (or is it to death?), A Midnight Dreary quickly plunges the airy gallery of CHAW into the darkness of a black box catacombs. Over the course of a pulse-quickening hour, the audience experiences three grim narratives one after the other, first as uncomfortable guests at Prince Prospero’s lavish masquerade ball in The Masque of Red Death; then in the damp stone halls of The Cask of Amontillado; and finally through The Tell-tale Heart, the infamous story beating out the rhythm of madness and murder.
Rotating through the role of lead narrator for the haunting tales, each of the three Poes teased out a different side of the tortured poet’s genius. Paige O’Malley (Poe 1) expertly navigated Poe’s melodramatic highs and lows as The Mask of the Red Death Narrator, Fortunado, and The (midwestern-accented) Constable. Rachel Dixon (Poe 3) was a model of cold calculation and deadly poise, weaving mystery with paranoia in her portrayal of Montresor in The Cask of Amontillado as well as The Red Death and The Old Man in the other stories. Víctor Salinas (Poe 2) let frenzied craze and slurred speech overtake his performance as the narrator in The Tell-tale Heart and settled into a manic madness as Prince Prospero, embodying the murderous climax of so many of Poe’s stories.
Tasked with transforming the black box theater at CHAW into a lush and unsettling dreamscape of heightened emotions and dangerous deeds was the frighteningly imaginative creative team of We Happy Few. Direction by Esteban Marmolejo-Suarez made use of the entire first floor, winding the audience and performers alike through galleries, along walls, around corners, and on wide stairs to mimic the twists of character and conscience. Props designer Kerry McGee and set designer Jon Reynolds worked together seamlessly to assemble the shapeshifting world, complete with creaking walls, dripping cobwebs, and festive masks for the guests. Lighting design by Jason Aufdem-Brinke was equally central and cleverly executed, plunging you into darkness in one moment and casting a flood of blood-red light in the next. Mike Winch’s sound design was at its best during The Tell-tale Heart as the body was dismembered and the heart refused to stay silent. Costume design by Paige O’Malley largely kept to a simple black and white theme to offset the evening’s dramatics.
Stitching together midnight encounters and brushes with madness, We Happy Few’s A Midnight Dreary is the perfect balance of fun and fright. A delightful yet nightmarish evening, fitting for both the season and the times we live in, the carefully curated tales haunting the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop are as unsettling as they are reflections of the dark and cruel corners of a world Poe knew all too well. For those brave enough to face this gothic retreat once upon a midnight dreary, all that is left is to raise a glass and cry to the heavens: Nevermore!
Running Time: 60 minutes with no intermission
A Midnight Dreary plays through November 22, 2025, presented by We Happy Few performing at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop – 545 7th St SE, Washington, DC. Purchase tickets (from $27) online.
A Midnight Dreary
Compiled from the writings of Edgar Allan Poe
Directed by Esteban Marmolejo-Suarez
The digital program is here.
FEATURING
Cast A
Rachel Dixon (Poe 3) as The Red Death, Montresor, & The Old Man
Paige O’Malley (Poe 1) as The Mask of the Red Death Narrator, Fortunado, & The Constable
Victor Salinas (Poe 2) as Prince Prospero, The Tell Tale Heart Narrator, & Luchesi
Cast B
Em German (Poe 2) as Prince Prospero, The Tell Tale Heart Narrator, & Luchesi
Andrew Quilpa (Poe 3) as The Red Death, Montresor, & The Old Man
Gill Rydholm (Poe 1) as The Mask of the Red Death Narrator, Fortunado, & The Constable
CREATIVE TEAM
Kenzi Wentela (stage manager)
Kerry McGee (producer, props)
Wendy Snow Waker (production manager)
Jon Reynolds (set designer)
Jason Aufdem-Brinke (lighting designer)
Paige O’Malley (costume designer)
Mike Winch (sound designer)
Keith Hock (front of house)
SEE ALSO:
For spooky season, We Happy Few to present ‘A Midnight Dreary’ (news story, October 3, 2025)
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