Hi, I’m Helen McKenna

I have loved Poe’s writing since early high school. As an actor, I love bringing his works to life. Because I worked at his Philadelphia home full-time, I am immersed in his life and am able to take questions in character.

The premise of my appearances is that I (as Edgar) have been summoned back from the dead and have found a person (Helen) who is open to allowing my spirit to temporarily occupy her body.

Because Edgar is aware that he’s passed on (and has returned many times,) he is familiar with his legacy: Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Awards, Stephen King, Alfred Hitchcock, Baudelaire, Dostoevsky, etc.

Performances are interactive and approximately an hour, but can be tailored to your needs.

What to Expect

From memory I am able to perform “The Tell-Tale Heart”, “The Raven”, “Annabel Lee”, “The Bells”, “Dream Within a Dream”, and “El Dorado”. Also from memory, I do abridged versions of “Cask of Amontillado”, and “The Black Cat.”

I am happy to read Poe’s works from paper, so if you have a yen to hear “The Duc de L’Omelette” or some other obscure work, don’t hesitate to ask!! Reading an abridged version of “Fall of the House of Usher” is particularly dramatic.

For Christmas, you might consider having Poe read an abridged version of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and have Poe discuss how he was inspired to write “The Raven” after reviewing Dickens’ “Barnaby Rudge.”

Past Appearances

Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site

Lambertville Station

Ritz Theater, Haddon Township

Kemper Center, Kenosha Wisconsin

Dearborn Michigan Public Library

Allaire Historic Village

El Tecolote Bookstore, Todos Santos, Mexico

Gloucester County Historical Society

Cherry Hill Public Library

Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia

The George School

Manalapan Middle School

International Poe Festival

and many many more