"Gorey Stories"

A is for Amy who fell down the stairs
B is for Basil assaulted by bears
C is for Clara who wasted away
D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh...
These calmly malevolent lines paint the allegorical landscape of Gorey Stories, a deliciously macabre assortment of tales, songs, and limericks from the gothic outpourings of writer-illustrator Edward Gorey. And Gorey does not disappoint as he guides us through this dark, but often humorous, ride through his world. During his long career, Gorey illustrated and wrote short stories, poems, prose and plays based in an eerie and macabre world, full of odd characters that experience strange fates often leading to mysterious demises. His illustrations resemble a Victorian-era woodcut drawing with a bit of Charles Addams thrown in for good measure. Fans of the popular PBS show Mystery! have enjoyed Gorey’s illustrations which were animated for the introduction to the series. He also provided production design for such popular Broadway productions as Dracula (for which he won a Tony for Best Costumes), and he illustrated T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, the basis for the musical CATS.

Many of Gorey’s fans are probably not aware that he was ever responsible for a musical. Gorey Stories had a successful run off-Broadway in the late 70s, but its move to the Booth Theatre on Broadway in 1978 was a disaster. The show closed the same night it opened – Oct. 30, 1978. Since then, however, Gorey Stories has found a successful second life in smaller theaters where the concentration is on the unique storytelling and the brilliant characters in an intimate environment. In the past several years cutting-edge theaters across the country have turned Gorey Stories into an enormous cult hit.

Leading us into the mysterious, sinister and yet hilarious Gorey world is guest director Jason Spitzer, who is making his GCT directorial debut. Spitzer is well known locally for his acting and his directing, and has appeared on our stage in The Importance of Being Earnest and The Play’s The Thing. Most recently, he directed Forbidden Broadway at Theatre Memphis. His cast is full of familiar faces who have performed at GCT or other local theatres. The ensemble is composed of Wesley Barnes, Michael Beyl, John Buchanan, Tzvetana Denkova, Mandy Lane, Mark W. Reid, Julie L. Reinbold, Randi Sluder, and Kip Sluder.

Gorey’s gothic vision of the world as dark, mysterious, sinister and yet simultaneously hilarious will be a particular treat for those who enjoy the strange and unusual books of Lemony Snicket or the films of Tim Burton. All who enjoy “something different” will have an unusual and unexpected time at GCT ‘s Gorey Stories. Age recommendation: 13+ (contains some adult subject matter).