A Midnight Dreary
Compiled from the writings of Edgar Allan Poe
Directed by Esteban Marmolejo-Suarez
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, & Lucresi
Cast B
Em German (Poe 2) as Prince Prospero, The Tell Tale Heart Narrator, & Lucresi
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
Produced by
Kerry McGee
Production Management
Wendy Snow Walker
Stage Management
Makenzi Wentela
Lighting Design
Jason Aufdem-Brinke
Sound Design
Mike Winch
Costume Design
Paige O'Malley
Set Design
Jon Reynolds & Kerry McGee
Props
Kerry McGee & Paige O'Malley
Musical Direction
Em German
Structural Set Piece Designer
Matt Reckeweg
"The Bells" music composed by
Raven Bonniwell
Dramaturgy
Keith Hock
Graphic Design
Kerry McGee
Photography
Jason Aufdem-Brinke & Taylor Stevens
Artistic Director
Kerry McGee
Company Manager
Wendy Snow Walker
Marketing Lead
Kerry McGee
Grant Manager
Rachel Dixon
Box Office Manager
Keith Hock
Literary Director
Keith Hock
Grant Writer
Reid Sharkey
A Midnight Dreary was originally conceived and developed by: Kerry McGee, Jon Reynolds, Alex Turner, Raven Bonniwell, Bridget Grace Sheaff, Kiernan McGowan, Robert Pike, & Sam Reilly
A Midnight Dreary is performed at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, on the ancestral land of the Piscataway and Anacostan people.
Liked this performance? Check out our A Midnight Dreary audio play series.
A Note from the Dramaturg
Edgar Allan Poe’s writing, like his life, was short, strange, and sad. Orphaned as a baby, begrudgingly raised by a wealthy but cold patriarch and a doting but sickly mother figure, rejected by his childhood love, kicked out of both college and the army, disowned by his foster father…he found little joy until his 22nd year, when he was reunited with his brother and began his writing career in earnest. His brother was dead within six months. Poe would go on to bury his wife, despite being more than a decade older than her, and would die himself before reaching 50, having attained great fame but little comfort and less stability from his life’s work. Misery haunted the end of his life as it had the start: he died cold, drunk, and alone on the streets of Baltimore, and his literary estate was seized by a rival who sullied his reputation once in the grave with rumors of infidelity and madness.
It should come as no surprise that much of Poe’s writing is suffused with darkness, and cynicism. Life had not been kind to him. He knew keener than many of his fellows the sting of betrayal and the crushing weight of disappointment, and the enervating despair of powerlessness in the face of injustice and indifference. Unable to revenge himself upon the real world, it is no surprise that his stories abound with vengeance, cruelty, and perversity. In the stories being presented tonight, one man takes his long-awaited revenge for a thousand indignities, another yields to his intrusive thoughts and is haunted and destroyed by his momentary lapse of control, and a prince thumbs his nose at tragedy in the interest of serving callow amusements, only to be destroyed by his arrogance. Hopefully Poe found some comfort, and you find some entertainment, in his cathartic expression of man’s inhumanity to man.
-Keith Hock
A Note from the Director
“I was never really insane except upon occasions when my heart was touched.” - Edgar Allan Poe
Welcome revelers and merrymakers to our morbid masquerade concerning the macabre meditations of the master of horror, Edgar Allan Poe! Due to the magic of the Halloween season, we have not one but three Poes who will guide you through the dark recesses of the poet’s mind. We hope your heart will be touched as you let go of sanity and follow our Poes through three of his most famous works.
For me, Poe’s writing has always served as an invitation to embrace the messiness and chaos of the human psyche. His stories are reminders that feelings of anxiety, anger, and despair are just as beautifully human as love, joy, and tranquility. The fact that Poe’s works have stood the test of time is not only a testament to the strength of his prose but to the universality of the emotions contained within the pages. Horror’s power is rooted in experiencing fear in community when we are so often made to face it by ourselves. So, tonight, allow yourself to dive headfirst into discomfort and know that
you are not alone as you endure the perturbing reality of A Midnight Dreary.
-Esteban Marmolejo-Suarez
Bios
JASON AUFDEM-BRINKE (Lighting Designer) he/him
We Happy Few Company Member and Resident Lighting Designer. Select WHF designs include: R.U.R., Kill The Ripper, La Llorona, Desdemona, Lovers Vows, Macbeth, The Tempest, Hamlet. Recent designs elsewhere include La Boheme and John Proctor is the Villain (Catholic University), Ascend (Georgetown University Dance Company), SpongeBob The Musical (Atholton High School). Upcoming designs include:Clue (Atholton High School), HyBall (Pyramid Arts Center).
RACHEL DIXON (Poe 3) she/her
Rachel is an arts administrator, teaching artist, and writer, as well as a We Happy Few Company member. Recent credits include: Charlotte in Sanditon (WHF), Kit/Mrs.Whyte-Fraser/Old Woman in Diana of Dobson's (WHF), and Rosencrantz in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (NuSass Productions), and as the Youth Company Supervisor on Arena Stage's The Bedwetter. During the summer, she serves as the Assistant Camp Director for Camp Arena Stage. Rachel is an alumni of George Mason University. Follow her on instagram: racho_dix or her substack, Honey Colored Glasses.
EM GERMAN (POE 2) she/her
Em is excited to be returning to We Happy Few for this production. She is a DC-local actor and musician whose past experience with We Happy Few includes performing in the Diana of Dobson’s Staged Reading. Her recent past work includes performing in the original cast of Drunk Shakespeare DC, as well as Nu Sass’s production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Her upcoming film features include Lisbeth in Following, produced by Fury 13 Films, and The Last Supper, a short film produced by Dare to Dream Films.
KEITH HOCK (Dramaturg/Literary Director) he/him
Keith has been a company member since 2012, working as a production manager, technical director, board operator, and rehearsal stage manager for the first few years before taking on the roles of Box Office Manager and Literary Director. He writes the company blog and has served as dramaturge for CHALK, Henry V, Dog in the Manger, Pericles, Macbeth, Treasure Island, Lovers' Vows, Iphigenia, and Rossum’s Universal Robots. Keith is a librarian at The George Washington University.
ESTEBAN MARMOLEJO-SUAREZ (Director) he/him/él
Esteban is a Colombian-American actor, director, and improviser based in the DMV and a BFA graduate of George Mason University’s School of Theater. Most recently, Esteban served as the Allen Lee Hughes School Programs fellow at Arena Stage. He is thrilled to be back with We Happy Few with A Midnight Dreary! Directing credits: Erase Una Vez y dos son Tres! (GALA Hispanic Theater), La Llorona (We Happy Few), Klecksography (Rorschach Theater), Just Like Us, Chimichangas and Zoloft (George Mason University). Assistant directing credits: 22+ Weddings of Hugo and Don Quijote y Sancho Panza Nuevas Andanzas (GALA Hispanic Theater)
KERRY MCGEE (Producer, Set & Props Designer) she/her
Kerry is the Artistic Director and Marketing Director for WHF. Kerry has directed La Llorona, Desdemona: A Play About A Handkerchief, Lovers' Vows, Treasure Island, Hamlet Project: A Rock 'n' Roll Mixtape, Henry V and Chalk for WHF and acted in The Adventure of the Norwood Builder, Pericles, Dracula, A Midnight Dreary, and The Winter's Tale. Additionally, Kerry has directed and adapted the Loveday Brooke series for WHF, written Iphigenia, and has designed the packages for the Sherlock and Poe audio experiences. Other DC credits: Visions of Love (Pointless Theatre), Peepshow; Beertown; Toast (dog & pony dc), and Love's LaBeers Lost (LiveArtDC). Kerry worked in Richmond for many years, where she received awards for her work on A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity. Kerry received her MFA in Theatre Pedagogy from VCU.
PAIGE O'MALLEY (Poe 1, Costume & Props Designer) she/her
(Poe 1 and Costume Designer) is an active Company & Board member of We Happy Few. She also acts as Development Manager for the company. Paige has performed in many WHF shows over the years including: Frankenstein, Treasure Island, Desdemona: A Play about a Handkerchief, Kill the Ripper!, and Rossum's Universal Robots. For more on Paige’s work and life visit: www.paigeomalley.com
ANDREW QUILPA (Poe 3) he/him
We Happy Few: R.U.R. (Alquist); LOCAL: Faction of Fools: (How the Sausage Gets Made, Love Like Tuesday, Missed Connections, Foolish Fridays); Puppet Co. (The Wizard of Oz, Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, Witch Wartsmith’s Holiday Spooktacular); Adventure Theatre MTC (Fantastagirl and the Math Monster, Luchadora!, The Girl with the Lantern Heart); Rorschach Theatre (Night of the Living Dead, She Kills Monsters 2e, 410 [GONE]); The COIL Project (Much Ado About Nothing, Art, Strange Tales IV: Paradise Motel); Flying V Theatre (Paperless Pulp); Feminist Fairytales (Shaman, Rumpelstiltskin: A Retelling). BA, University of Virginia. Andrew writes for and voices various characters on "The COIL Project Variety Hour" on Takoma Radio WOWD-LP 94.3 FM, serves as artistic director of The COIL Project, and is a company member of Faction of Fools Theatre Company and the Puppet Co. Artistic Council. www.andrewquilpa.com
JON REYNOLDS (Set designer) he/him
Jon Reynolds is an actor, deviser, and playwright born and raised in the Washington, DC area. He appeared as an actor with WHF in Sanditon, Sherlock Holmes, Pericles, Hamlet Project: A Rock 'n' Roll Mixtape, A Midnight Dreary, Dracula, and Chalk, and has helped devise and design Dracula, Frankenstein, and Treasure Island, in addition to designing the set for Lovers' Vows, Iphigenia and Desdemona. He worked locally with many companies, including dog & pony, where Jon has devised and acted in TOAST, A Killing Game, Beertown, Separated at Birth, and COURAGE. Jon has been part of the Washington, DC theatre community for 20 years, and was a member of National Players, as a performer and Company Manager.
GILL RYDHOLM (Poe 1) she/they
Gill Rydholm is excited to be making their We Happy Few debut! Regional: Chameleon Theater Collective (MUSE: THE WOMEN OF PICASSO), Interact Story Theatre (Kidstory Theatre Festival). Training: George Mason University B.F.A. MT // Website: gillrydholm.com
VÍCTOR SALINAS (Poe 2) he/him
Víctor Salinas is a Mexican USAmerican actor and playwright who has appeared in La Golondrina at the Mexican Cultural Institute, GALA’s The 22 Weddings of Hugo, Las hermanas Palacios, Baño de luna, La valentía, Native Gardens, and La tía Julia y el escribidor. Other DC credits include the well reviewed Frontiéres Sans Frontiéres and Sonnets for An Old Century (Spooky Action Theater) and La llorona (We Happy Few). His credits in Chicago include Nilo Cruz’s Exquisita agonía (Tommy); Epopeya and Adverses (Aguijón Theater); Romeo & Juliet (Aguijón Theater & 65th Theater on the Lake Festival); and When My Father Died (Dramatists Theater). Víctor has performed in numerous plays, soap operas, and films in Mexico City. As a playwright, his work, The Lady Bird of Saint John, opened the 2022 Chicago International Latino Theater Festival. His first play, LOVEknots, was on stage for more than three years in Mexico City and has been produced in Colombia, Madrid, and Chicago. Víctor was educated in Mexico, France, and the US. @vicsalar
WENDY SNOW WALKER (Company Manager) she/her
Wendy is thrilled to be back in the DC theatre scene. Wendy's administrative credits include: Managing Director/Deputy Director at Pointless Theatre in DC, Artistic Director at Spotlighters Theatre in Baltimore, Executive Director at the Arts Council of Wayne County in NC, Director at Henry Mancini Arts Academy in PA, and Founder and Artistic Director of Kinderstars in MD. Wendy is also a proud member of IATSE Local 487 and 772, working on film/TV/theater costume crews throughout the DMV. As a SAG-AFTRA performer, you can catch her on Netflix in House of Cards and The Mark Twain Prize for Conan O'Brian, as well as on stage at Manor Mill Playhouse and the Cumberland Theatre.
MAKENZI WENTELA (Stage Manager) she/her
Makenzi is a technician and educator who works in the DMV area, and is a Michigan Technological University graduate with a BS in Theatre and Entertainment Technology, and minors in Art and Performance. Her previous shows as a stage manager with We Happy Few are Desdemona: A Play About a Play About a Handkerchief (2022), La Llorona (2022), Iphigenia (2023), and Kill the Ripper (2023). Kenzi also works with the Discovery Theatre and has stage managed Seasons of Light (2022/23), Lions of Industry: Mothers of Invention (2024), and Mother Earth and Me (2024).
MICHAEL WINCH (Sound Designer) he/him
Mike is a composer and sound designer based in Washington DC. He is a company member of Pointless Theatre Co., and Solas Nua. MFA David Geffen School of Drama at Yale, four time Helen Hayes nominee. Mike is a resident artist at Minnie’s Island Conservancy, and leads the Irish session at the Hunter’s Hound in Chevy Chase every Thursday night.
We Happy Few is:
We Happy Company Members
Jason Aufdem-Brinke
Debora Crabbe
Rachel Dixon
Keith Hock
Kerry McGee
Paige O'Malley
Emilia Pazniokas
Sam Reilly
Jon Reynolds
Hannah Todd
Makenzi Wentela
Gabby Wolfe
We Happy Board Members
John McGowan
Raven Bonniwell
Kerry McGee
Jon Reynolds
Keith Hock
Hannah Todd
Paige O'Malley
Gabby Wolfe
Jason Aufdem-Brinke
We Happy Thanks
CHAW
Taffety Punk
Literary Adventure Society
The RUR team
Studio Theatre
Pointless Theatre Company
We Happy Few Supporters
Baker Street Irregulars ($50+)
Andrew Kuchling, Devon Hodges, Jane Perkins, Liz Fitzhugh, Mark Cruse, Delaney Williams, Heidi Kim, Amy Wentela, Kathryn Zoerb, Lynn Soukup, Richard Byrne, Robin Berl, Samantha Philip, Esther Pong, Emily Johannsen, Steven Carpenter, Jodi Hosale, Brian Shaw, Bill Ross, Clayton Kratz, Lee Quinby, Sandra Dennis, David Tannous
The Bards ($100+)
Carol Spring, John Bonacum, Nicole Mordecai, Ryan Aurori, Tommy Nixon, Dale Melcher, Michael Kueker, Matthew Ryan, Mary Flanagan, Ellys Abrams, Peter Smith, Tom Bonniwell, David McGrail, Daniel Wiener, Eileen Gillooly, Dorothy Holland, Carol Lashof, Mary McGowan, Michael Dowdy, Patrick Cooper, Sara Varhus, Thomas Holzman, Chalres Engross, Supritha Rajan, Wendy Nemetz, Chris Lowey
Peg Leg Pirates ($200+)
Abraham Todd, Douglas W Howard, Jessica Berman & Michael Fernandez, Lynn York, Brian Ross, Emilia Pazniokas, Paige O'Malley, Scott Whalen, John Driscoll, Jonathan Zuker, Jon Reynolds, Tessa van der Willigen, Jessica Jackson, Jocelyn Callister, Jeremy & Todd Hilgert, Ryan Aurori, Hannah Todd, Kerry McGee
Lynch Court Investigators ($500+)
Andy Hunter, Douglas Hock, Mellie Hock, Jeff Gee, Jason Aufdem-Brinke, Keith Hock
Starcrossed Lovers ($1000+)
Terrella Productions, Community Foundation
King or Queen of the Fairies ($5000+)
DC Commission of the Arts and Humanities
DC Share Fund