It’s midnight on a cold, stormy night. Suddenly, there comes a rapping, a rapping on your chamber door. Hesitantly, you open it…and a nightmare swoops in, clothed in black, blessed with the beak of a plague doctor. That’s the time when the ghosts of your past will rise. Gearing up for Halloween, we used Edgar Allan Poe as our muse to investigate the madness behind a murderer’s motives in our homage to one of the greatest poems of all time. Get ready to get spooky in our landmark 25th Master Mystery Production.

LENORE NEVERMORE

Once upon a midnight dreary, something rather quaint and curious happened over forgotten lore. Lenore was a beautiful young woman adored for her generosity, goodwill, and innocence. And she died well before her time. A brutal booby trap snuffed out her light and drove one of her admirers into grief and near madness. After all, it was his chamber where his beloved Lenore died. Suddenly, there comes a rapping on his chamber door, and a preternatural raven swoops in croaking out a dire message. What is the meaning behind “Nevermore?” In true Poe fashion, as his madness and hallucinations deepen, our mysterious protagonist has to face dark omens, vengeful rivals, painful memories, statues coming to life, and secrets scuttling out from the shadows. Was Lenore the intended victim? Could he have killed her? Is the truth deadlier than fiction? Inspired by one of the most famous poems in the world, step into the haunting world of Edgar Allan Poe and an imaginative twist on the chilling narrative in his masterpiece “The Raven.” Madness or murderer? You be the judge.

Lenore Nevermore, written and directed by MMP founder Daniel Stallings, takes its cue from a popular holiday time event he worked on every ear called the Ridge Writers Dickens Tea, a Victorian Christmas-inspired tea themed after Charles Dickens. Wanting to change it up this year, he designed an Edgar Allen Poe Tea and created this mystery as an homage to the man who invented the mystery genre. Lenore Nevermore is a seamless blend of both Poe’s horror and mystery stories, a whodunit clothed in a Gothic psychological thrilled discussing the nature of memory, guilt, and grief. It is also the first ever touring production for MMP, being the first show to perform in multiple venues during its initial run. Lenore Nevermore will perform as part of the Edgar Allan Poe Tea in Ridgecrest in partnership with Ridge Writers, our ninth collaboration with the organization, and perform at Marta Backet’s Amargosa Opera House in our third show at the illustrious venue.

Stallings’ cast for the show features extremely talented MMP veterans working together to create a magical experience. And we do mean magic. We’ve assembled an outstanding team of special effect artists to make some theatre magic. We’ve reunited the critically acclaimed puppeteering team from Mutiny on the Sea Witch (the master artists behind Polly the Parrot) and the award-winning SFX makeup crew from What Happens at Sundown. Along with custom-created period costuming and some of our strongest acting from longtime MMP stars, Lenore Nevermore is shaping up to be, in a word, riveting. Will you ever forget its power? Nevermore…

Lenore Nevermore performs Saturday, October 19 at 2 p.m. at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church (633 W. Las Flores Ave.) and Saturday, October 26 at 2 p.m. at Amargosa Opera House.  Doors open at 1:30 p.m.  Tickets are $20 general admission, $10 for kids 12 and under. Tickets for the Ridgecrest show on October 19 are available now at Red Rock Books, which will also buy tea and treats and a Halloween souvenir.

Tickets for the Amargosa Opera House show on October 26 will be sold through the Amargosa Hotel Front Desk, and it is highly recommended tickets be purchased in advance. Call the Front Desk at (760) 852-4441 between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily or leave a message with your name and number to reserve your seats. Patrons should reference “Lenore Nevermore” and have their credit card ready; they can also process ticket purchases through receipt of a hard copy check. Tickets may be picked up at the Front Desk starting at noon on the day of the show. Tickets are non-refundable. Patrons may also email the Front Desk if there are difficulties reaching them and leave details such as name and phone number, and the front desk staff will call them back. That email is deathvalleyjunction.backstage@gmail.com.

Join us as memories and magic come to life to our unforgettable farewell to the 2019 season in…

LENORE NEVERMORE

We can’t wait to see you all there!

–Master Mystery Productions