One hauntingly delicious evening of Edgar Allan Poe in Concord with theatre KAPOW at Gnomies
theatre KAPOW and Gnomies, Concord’s newest cafe and dry-bar experience, will collaborate for one night only for Masque & Macabre: An evening of Edgar Allan Poe and Exquisite Dining on October 23 at 6 pm.
Step beyond the ordinary and into the haunting world of Edgar Allan Poe while enjoying a delicious five-course meal. For one October night, guests will experience an intimate evening of candlelight, live theatre, beautiful food, and a touch of the macabre. theatre KAPOW (tKAPOW) and the team at Gnomies are collaborating to create an unforgettable and exquisite event. Poe’s stories and poetry will unfold around the unique venue as diners experience elegant bites and botanical sips inspired by his dark and unforgettable works.
Guests are invited to come dressed for an evening out: dark elegance, victorian touches, masks, and a little theatrical flair are welcomed, but not required. “This is not simply dinner and it is not simply theatre,” says Gnomie’s owner and head chef Susan Riedl, “It is an atmosphere and evening meant to be experienced.”
This collaboration began with a conversation back in December 2025. Brainstorming back and forth with tKAPOW founder Carey Cahoon led to the idea for an evening matching the language of Edgar Allan Poe with an immersive dining experience. “It’s truly a perfect fit for the fall season, and the incredible new space that Susan has created at Gnomies,” said Cahoon.
Audiences can expect truly well-crafted courses and themed sips – all non-alcoholic, of course – surrounded by the distinctive words of several of Poe’s poems and classic stories including The Tell-Tale Heart, the Masque of the Red Death, the Raven and more. With this combination of atmosphere, actors, and shared dining experience, Riedl says to “plan for an unforgettable evening.”
The cast features tKAPOW regulars Samantha Griffin, Glenn Provost, and Nick Meunier, joined by Hannah Heckman-McKenna making their tKAPOW debut. The show is adapted and directed by company co-founder Carey Cahoon.
Masque & Macabre: An evening of Edgar Allan Poe and Exquisite Dining is Friday, October 23 at 6 pm at Gnomies Woodland Fountain in Concord, NH. Tickets are limited and advance reservations are required.
About Gnomies
Gnomies is a place to connect, relax, sip, eat, and play. New Hampshire’s First Dry Bar, Café & Creative Game Lounge, Gnomies is located at 254 North State St. Unit H in Concord in the space formerly Area 23. This community hub is all about casual, analog fun. Enjoy lite bites, dinner or even brunch; dive into our massive board game library; get creative in instructor-led art classes; or rent our whimsical event space for private gatherings. Whether you are playing games, making art, sharing a meal, or meeting friends, Gnomies is your inviting woodland escape.
Meet the Cast
Samantha Griffin (she/her) is overjoyed to be spending her fall collaborating with theatre KAPOW and living out her Gilmore Girls Poe Night fantasy (S3E17, anyone?). An actor, playwright, director, intimacy choreographer, and one time published poet from Southern NH, she holds a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance with a minor in Playwriting from Columbia College Chicago. Sam most recently appeared in KAPOW’s September production of Iphigenia in Aulis; other recent credits include Enid’s Mill (Players’ Ring), Spookley The Square Pumpkin: The Musical (Firehouse Center for the Arts), and The Best We Could (a family tragedy) (theatre KAPOW). @samdgrif
Hannah Heckman-McKenna (they/she) is an actor out of Concord, NH. After studying and performing locally, Hannah was accepted into and graduated from Circle in the Square Theatre School’s two year professional workshop. Some of their favorite roles were Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe in the film “The Women Who Loved Poe”, Benedick (Much Ado About Nothing: Head Trick Theatre, Providence RI) and Kate Monster (Avenue Q: Top Notch Players, Haverhill, MA). Additionally, they have attended and performed at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh as well as competed nationally in AACTFest. When not on stage, Hannah enjoys spending time with their cats and traveling the northeast, attending various renaissance festivals. Hannah is thrilled to be making their theatre KAPOW debut in this piece centered around the brilliant works of Edgar Allan Poe!
Nicholas Meunier (he/him) is honored to return to theatre KAPOW again. Previous credits with tKAPOW include What the Constitution Means to Me (Legionnaire), Pride & Prejudice (Wickham/Collins), Mr. Wolf (Michael), and the staged reading of I, Will (Will). He is particularly excited for this experience, as he still has a volume of Poe’s poetry on his bookshelf that he bought for himself in a gift shop somewhere (Salem?) in approximately 1990 after seeing the first Treehouse of Horror on The Simpsons. He is also a true board game geek so would take any opportunity to perform at a board game café.
Glenn Provost (he/him) is an award-winning actor and a less distinguished director, producer, designer, improvisor, and one-time playwright, who is proud to be joining Theatre Kapow for the 10th time for this show. He is the founder and Artistic Director of Stage of Fools, a Manchester-based Shakespeare troupe. His favorite roles include M in Lungs, Vanya in Life Sucks, and both Orpheus and the Nasty, Interesting Man in two different productions of Eurydice. Glenn enjoys karaoke, cunning linguistics, and speaking about himself in the third person; he is a Capricorn.
