Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre is pleased to announce the cast of its upcoming productions of The Cask of Amontillado by Zachary Dalton, and Murder by Poe by Jeffrey Hatcher.

The Cask of Amontillado is a powerful tale of revenge. Montressor, the sinister narrator of the tale, pledges revenge “after a rain of a thousand insults and improprieties on the fault of a one Signor Fortunato”. A chance encounter early one evening and the opportunity to sample his much-beloved Amontillado leads Fortunato from carnival to catacomb as Montressor’s deadly plot begins to unfold. The role of Montressor will be played by Jay Fink while Pat Brogan will portray the ill-fated Fortunato.

Murder by Poe opens to a dark and dreadful night. A woman in white is lost within a wood, and the only shelter is a house full of murderers. Mixing funhouse tricks, Grand Guignol and a deadly game of cat and mouse, Murder by Poe is a theatrical reimagining of some of Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous tales of terror :The Black Cat, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, William Wilson, The Purloined Letter, The Mystery of Marie Roget and The Fall of the House of Usher As each haunted figure tells a story of crime and mayhem, the woman must solve the puzzle of the house and the riddle of the man who ushers her into its mysteries.

Liane Hayman will portray The Woman as she matches wits with John Morris who will play Poe’s eccentric, but brilliant detective, Chevalier Auguste Dupin. A veritable menagerie of murderers will be played by Jeff Fremont as Roderick Usher, John Cyprich as Heart, Jay Fink as Cat, and Matthew Sawicki as William Wilson. Deirdre McLaughlin will portray Marie Roget, a character Poe based on the beautiful cigar-girl whose murder remains unsolved to this day. Rounding out the ensemble will be Roberta Brandreth, Anne E. Rodella, Jessica Waclawski, and Pat Brogan.

The one-weekend-only performance will be held October 20, 21, 22, 2006, with Friday and Saturday night performances beginning at 8:00 p.m. and the Sunday matinee beginning at 3:00 p.m. at Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre, 537 N. Main Street, Wilkes-Barre. Tickets are $10.00. All seating is general admission but reservations can be made in advance to guarantee seating. Visit www.ltwb.org or call (570) 823-1875 for more information and to make your reservations.