In this episode we celebrate the anniversary of Poe’s well-known poem “The Bells,” written in May 1848 and published posthumously in 1849. The Bells describes the cycle of adult life, from excitement to joy, to fear and ultimately to the sorrow and somberness of death. Our celebration today features a performance from Baltimore’s Charm City Bronze Handbell Ensemble, and concludes with a very special reading of the The Bells by the renowned British actor Helen Atkinson Wood. Founded in 2013 by Artistic Director Beau Lochte, the Charm City Bronze Handbell Ensemble’s arrangement of Erik Satie’s "Gymnopedie Number 1" features a distinctive sound of bells ringing then being submerged in bowls filled with water, creating a dizzying "bending" of the pitch. Our featured performance is a reading of The Bells by noted British actor Helen Atkinson Wood. Ms. Wood is an actor and presenter best known for creating the character of Mrs. Miggins, in the classic BBC comedy “Blackadder.” A West End stage actor and presenter as well, Helen Atkinson Wood has been twice nominated by the British Comedy Awards as Best Female Comedy Performer. She is also an award-winning travel writer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Poe Theatre on the Air

"The Bells," read by Helen Atkinson Wood

Season One Finale! This story has been adapted into several international motion pictures (including one as recently as 2008), and was the musical subject of the world-famous progressive rock band The Alan Parsons Project. It is widely applauded as among the first works in American fiction to criticize the poor treatment of the mentally ill in the 1800s. As one of Poe’s best-known satirical efforts, the original story is available unedited in audiobook form on a wide range of digital platforms around the world.  In 1903, The Theatre du Grand Guignol in Paris produced a gruesome black comedy adaptation of this famous and noteworthy Edgar Allan Poe story, which the author titled, The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether. The stage play was known in France as The System of Doctor Goudron and Professor Plume. We’ve translated this play from the original French, and adapted it specifically for audio drama (the original title is retained in this recording.) We’ve called back some of our past season’s asylum characters in this one. Can you identify the episodes and any lines from those earlier programs? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The System Of Doctor Goudron And Professor Plume

Madeleine Usher is alive, after all. In this episode, we listen back to the story of how she was mistakenly entombed, and how that was the beginning of the end for the Ushers and their ancestral home. Also, Doctor Mallard meets a stranger interested in learning more about the asylum. Only one more episode before this season comes to an end! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Fall of the House of Usher, Part Two

Summoned to the aid of an old college friend, our protagonist embarks on a journey to a mysterious ancestral home and encounters not only the unfortunate friend but his frail and ghost-like sister. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Fall of the House of Usher, Part One

Intrigue, revenge and death in the Royal Court! First published in 1849, the year of Poe’s death, this story has been adapted numerous times, including having been sung by David Bowie in Lou Reed’s album “The Raven.” In this adaptation, we take a melodramatic and fantastic look at this most unlikely love affair. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hop Frog

Happy Halloween! In the conclusion of this two-part series, the Author and Toby Dammit stumble upon a mysterious little man in a covered bridge. Toby cannot resist demonstrating his “athletic prowess” to the man, but the results are not quite what he (repeatedly) bargained for. Part Two of a rare comedic story from Edgar Allan Poe. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Never Bet the Devil Your Head, Part Two

Toby Dammit was a man of questionable moral fiber. Coming home from a pub one night, he learns the consequences of a life of excess, and his trademark saying gets put to the ultimate test. Part One in a two-part adaptation of one of Poe’s few comedic stories See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Never Bet the Devil Your Head, Part One

In this second episode of our guest production “Edgar Allan” by The Coldharts, Edgar and his nemesis have the first meeting of their secret society. Edgar reveals a terrible secret, and immediately regrets his decision. Mallard and company return in October! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Poe Theatre On The Air - Edgar Allan, Part Two

We take a brief holiday from Dr. Mallard and his patients with this very special two-part guest production of “Edgar Allan,” from The Coldharts. This new musical is a reimagining of Poe’s childhood days, combined with an adaptation of his short story “William Wilson.” Mallard and company return in October! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Poe Theatre On The Air - Edgar Allan, Part One

A man, found wandering in the desert, tells a harrowing tale of his failed efforts to find the fabled City of Gold with his eccentric partner. But what is the secret he can’t bear to admit? Adapted from Poe's well-known poem. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Poe Theatre On The Air - Eldorado

Of the many fears that plague humankind, claustrophobia and the unrelenting terror of being entombed alive may be the worst. In this episode, The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre on the Air recounts one woman’s fate - and provides an unsettling look at Dr. Mallard’s more cruel side. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Poe Theatre On The Air - The Premature Burial

Wear your headphones as we play with high and low frequencies and ASMR tricks to make you uncomfortable. Poe’s famous poem about love, lost hope, obsession and tragedy gets a dramatic retelling and an extra-unsettling listening experience. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Poe Theatre on The Air - The Raven

They say a life at sea changes a man, but this story takes that to the extreme. In this episode, The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre on the Air takes on Poe’s tale of tragedy at sea, and the physical toll on those who survive the clutches of a near-mythical storm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Poe Theatre On The Air - A Descent into the Maelstrom

When obsession meets the creative impulse, it becomes almost impossible to know when to stop. Art should imitate life, not death. Meanwhile, it’s becoming clear that the kindly Dr. Mallard has somewhat of a mean streak in him. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Poe Theatre on the Air - The Oval Portrait

What if a person is hypnotized at the moment of death? The horrifying consequences of cheating the Reaper are unraveled in a story that readers during Poe’s time were afraid had actually happened. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Poe Theatre on The Air - The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar

Part radio drama, part podcast, and all Edgar Allan Poe. A new spine-tingling play for your ears every month, adapted from America’s most famous horror and suspense writer. Gothic frights, by The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre.