A house would have sufficed for Brat Productions’ latest project, “Haunted Poe.” A creepy Victorian might have been ideal considering the subject, but still, all you really need for a haunted house is a house. Of course, this is the company who invaded Fringe with strippers and free beer a couple years ago, so they went with a haunted, 10,000-squarefoot warehouse. “It’s a way to reach a new audience, which is the mission of Brat,” says artistic director Madi Distefano. “We get freaks, horror fans, Poe scholars, literary students, whoever, all coming together for Poe.”
And while it’s definitely theater — complete with literary cred thanks to Poe dramaturge Greg Giovanni and “Philly Poe Guy” Edward Pettit — the production stays true to its haunted roots. “This is not family fun for 8- and 9-year-olds,” warns Distefano. “I don’t like scary things. I created a piece I wouldn’t want to see.”
Haunted Poe
Tonight through Nov. 1
Haunted Poe Warehouse
38 Jackson St.
$20-$25, 800-836-3006
www.hauntedpoe.com
Bugging out —literally Without giving too much away, one of the scenes required 1,000 size-large American cockroaches from the Insectarium in Torresdale. “We don’t know how to count them,” says Distefano of the unusual order.