James Rana

(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- East Lynne Theater Company is set to thrill and chill audiences with "Tales of Mystery and Suspense," a menagerie of spooky short stories by Stephen Crane, Guy de Maupassant, H.P. Lovecraft, and, of course, Edgar Allan Poe. Curated and edited by James Rana and directed by Craig Fols, artistic director of East Lynne, these mysterious and scary stories will be brought to life in staged readings for two weekends only: Fridays and Saturdays, October 18-19 and 25-26, 2024.

Rana has worked extensively with East Lynne for years both as an actor and adaptor of classic stories for the stage. He has been staging a variety of spooky “Tales of Mystery and Suspense” at East Lynne for the past few Halloween seasons with much success. This time around, audiences can expect:

* “Behold, the Grave of a Wicked Man” by Crane, a New Jersey native, who wrote several short stories and poems and is perhaps best know for “The Red Badge of Courage.”

* “The Horla,” a horror story by de Maupassant, one of the most prolific short story writers in literary history.

* “The Cats of Ulthar” by fantasy writer Lovecraft.

* “The Raven” by Poe, the famous story which no Halloween festival should be without.

Actors in this Halloween-themed staged reading include East Lynne regulars Veronique Hurley, Mat Labotka and Logan Kovach.

“Halloween is a favorite time of year for us at East Lynne Theater and for Cape May as a whole,” Fols said. “We are always excited to share what James Rana has developed for us each holiday season, and this one certainly will not disappoint.”

The staged readings of these classic ghost tales take place 7:00pm Fridays and Saturdays, October 18-19 and 25-26. Admission is $25 for general admission, $20 for students and military, free for ages 12 and under. East Lynne is located at 500 Hughes St., Cape May. More information can be found at EastLynneTheater.org.

Founded in 1980, East Lynne Theater Company (ELTC) was the first theater in the country with the unique mission of presenting and preserving America's theatrical heritage. The New York Times listed ELTC as one of the 75 top summer theaters in North America. In 2018, the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly passed a joint legislative resolution recognizing ELTC as “one of the state’s most important cultural treasures.”