Permafrost Theatre Collective is Resurrecting Poe's Children

We are Permafrost Theatre Collective, an association of multidisciplinary artists formed in 2018 that have toured the world with theatre powered by unbridled imagination.

ORIGINS

Beginning as an exploratory devising group, PTC was the brainchild of Christina Rose Ashby, a graduate of the Actors Studio Drama School's director's program and a prolific off-broadway director. Early sessions focused around music-powered imagination play and quickly grew into their first production, a re-imagining of Lewis Carroll's work called "Are You Alice: A New Wonderland Tale".

This striking production saw Carroll's text repurposed into an explosion of color and sound that pulled Alice's adventures away from trite, heavy-handed allegories and tacky gritty psychology and instead reveled in its nonsense and joy, creating a universal Alice for the 21st Century.

After a workshop and two residencies in New York City, the piece was taken to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019 where it enjoyed standing ovations, rave reviews, and praise from luminaries including Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls.

The COVID-19 pandemic saw a pivot in PTC's output, moving to online content, new work development, and community-based events when re-opening began.

In this time we produced a library of short films in our "Script to Screen" series, brought together musicians and writers of all descriptions, and even live-streamed the premiere of an entire play using a multi-camera setup and a lot of creativity. "The High Priestess" received enthusiastic reviews for both cast, crew, and writer Andrew Martini.

However, it wasn't long before we were back devising, this time working within the milieu of Edgar Allen Poe...

THIS SHOW

Using a new evolution of the devising process used on "Alice", "Poe’s Children" was created in 2021 in collaboration with NYC theater incubator The Tank.

The show is a bold new meditation on the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe. At times explosive, at times harrowingly contemplative, this multidisciplinary dive into one of American literature’s most noted voices frees his work from stale convention and overwrought, oblique horror. Instead, the piece taps into the melancholic tragedy that forms the emotional substance of Poe's work, approaching him with empathy instead of shock and awe.

Blending reality with fiction, the show begins at a funeral. Edgar Allen Poe is dead, leaving behind seven imaginary children. At this memorial, each Child has a moment to grieve on their own terms, reflecting on their life’s journey using a poem of their father’s as a catalyst to memory.

Utilizing both the text and their own words, the performers interpret and reflect on the work both sonically and physically. Relationships to each other, their father, and themselves are reexamined through song, dance, and more as they forge ever onward toward an elusive catharsis.

Through their various viewpoints, a picture of the man slowly emerges. Imperfect, at times impenetrable, but at all times artistically honest.

Delving into the author's broader themes in a non-linear and abstract way, “Poe’s Children” strips away preconceptions and engages with Poe's work and legacy in a visceral manner that most other New York theatre wouldn’t dare attempt.

DEVELOPMENT

"Poe's Children" was first developed at The Tank in 2021, a work-in-progress run that saw the foundations of the show laid down and key set-pieces brought to life.

Poe’s heartrending dedication to his deceased wife “Annabel Lee” became a melancholic guitar ballad.

“Israfel”, Poe’s ode to hopeful mortality, is transformed into a captivating, EDM-infused explosion of dance and lighting.

The reality distorting “A Dream Within a Dream” became a soundscaped babelogue that explores Poe’s various addictions and vices.

After some development time, "Poe's Children" is now ready to receive its first full airing at Frigid NY's "Days of the Dead" Festival.

THE ASK

Permafrost Theatre Collective is powered exclusively by donations. We take care to pay our artists and collaborators and we also have a variety of production expenses to manage.

Having drawn up our budget, we need $5000 in order to pay our team, cover costs for publicity and promotion, pay for rehearsal space, buy insurance, and so forth.

We are a charity, and have 501c status through our partner Fractured Atlas. If you are an Angel donor interested in covering a more substantial portion of our budget, please feel free to reach out to us directly and we can talk you through the steps necessary for your large dollar donation to be received as a tax-deductible contribution.

Any and all donations are welcome, it takes a lot to do work like this, but we have always been able to rely on our community to support us through it.

In addition, if you have a service you may wish to donate to the production (photography, videography, publicity, etc), please feel free to reach out at the email above to talk to us. We are always looking to grow our circle and meet new, exciting people in the arts.

THE TEAM

In addition, our show features a diverse, multidisciplinary team, representing a variety of ethnic backgrounds, gender expressions and orientations, immigration statuses, and individuals with disabilities.

From Permafrost Theatre Collective's administrative team:

Christina Rose Ashby (Director) - Christina is a respected director, educator, and theater maker hailing from Alaska and based in New York City. With an MFA in directing from the prestigious Actors Studio Drama School, and over 30 directing credits to her name, Christina’s work has been lauded in the pages of the New York Times and Time Out New York.

Recent credits include "Romeo and Juliet" with Boomerang Theater Company, "Petunia's Playhouse Live: Petunia's Big Day" (featuring music by Billy Reece, noted for his Off-Broadway smash “A Musical About Star Wars”), and "The Dog Show" by Ivan Faute (TRU New Voices).

Thomas Burns Scully (Composer) - Thomas Burns Scully is a multi-award winning playwright, actor, musician, and immersive experience creator. He has had work produced across three continents, including exhibitions in partnership with Fortune 500 company Anheuser-Busch at SXSW, as part of a custom designed experience for Emmy winning actor Neil Patrick Harris, and with the Drama Desk nominated Live In Theatre group. He has also appeared in beloved TV comedy Broad City, was formerly resident guitarist at the Hard Rock Cafe Times Square, is a founding member of What May Come Immersive, and lead guitarist in bands Hurricane Holly and The 86 Seas.