An Intimate Evening of Poetry and Conversation
with Oscar-Nominated Director John Astin
10th Anniversary Fundraiser for Visible Theatre
Astin Reads Works by Edgar Allan Poe and other Literary Figures
October 24th 2009 7:00pm
At Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture

August 13, 2009 [Sleepy Hollow, NY]; In the spirit of an eerie October eve in Sleepy Hollow, Visible Theatre presents an evening with the “master of macabre”, Edgar Allan Poe, dramatically performed by television “Pop Culture Icon” actor John Astin, best known for his role as Gomez Addams in the TV series the Addams Family.

“An Intimate Evening of Poetry and Conversation with Oscar-Nominated Director John Astin,” is a fundraiser to celebrate a decade of Visible Theatre’s visionary work and to welcome Visible Theatre to Westchester. The event is scheduled for Saturday, October 24th, 7:00 p.m. at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Sleepy Hollow, NY. Astin will present readings from works by Poe and other literary figures and discuss his journey as an actor, director, father and teacher. Literary figure costumes are welcome! For $40 “Witness” tickets or front row $60 “Visionary” tickets, visit www.smarttix.com <link> or call 212- 868-4444 For directions to Stone Barns Center, visit www.stonebarnscenter.org.

Mr. Astin, best known as Gomez Addams, television’s lovable, slightly crazed patriarch of the original Addams Family series, is currently a Visiting Professor at the Johns Hopkins University where he is Director of the Program in Theatre Arts & Studies and has initiated the University Theatre on the Hopkins Homewood campus in the historic Merrick Barn. Occasionally Mr. Astin performs on stage with his students, and he is still active in film, television and the theatre.

For six years Astin performed a one-man show on Edgar Allan Poe to critical acclaim and enthusiastic audiences across the U.S., Ireland and Australia. He hopes the play will enhance and deepen interest in and respect for Poe’s brilliance and versatility.

Astin said recently, “I feel that Poe, through his own tortured existence, gained deep insight into the nature of the universe, along with an intense love and appreciation for life itself. Through this play I want to share that impression with others.”

Krista Smith, Founder and Artistic Director of Visible Theatre, will open the evening with an introduction to Visible Theatre and Astin’s connection to the organization.

Smith explains,. “John is on Visible’s advisory board, a friend and a mentor. He has a fierce commitment and passion for humanizing future leaders through the arts that is very aligned with Visible’s mission. It’s almost Halloween and we’re in Sleepy Hollow, so how much more appropriate can you get than Gomez from the Addams family reciting Poe?”

Visible Theatre is a nonprofit theatre company founded in 2000 that celebrates differences and connects artists and audiences to their deepest humanity through storytelling from the heart.

Visible offers affordable training and long term development of new work through a weekly professional lab, a writing circle, master classes and vision quest retreats. Visible works out of New York City and Spirit Hollow, their new studio in Westchester. For more information, visit www.visibletheatre.org.