October 12, 2022
Courtesy/Envoute Entertainment
Envoute Entertainment is throwing an immersive Halloween ball at the Collingswood Grand Ballroom that brings to life Edgar Allen Poe's 1842 short story "The Masque of the Red Death."
Edgar Allen Poe often wrote about mystery and death, including in his popular work "The Masque of the Red Death." This Halloween season, a masquerade ball in Collingswood seeks to bring that story to life.
The Masque of the Red Death is being hosted by Envoute Entertainment on Oct. 30 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Collingswood Grand Ballroom. The 18+ event at 315 White Horse Pike will feature live performances, an art gallery and food.
Philadelphia writer, director and producer Frank W. Juchniewicz wrote an expanded version of the 180-year-old story for the party. The depiction includes a live theatrical production and immersive experiences in seven different rooms.
The seven interactive rooms include an art gallery, a serene solarium with a champagne wall, a lounge designed for guests to gossip, the ballroom where actors will put on a show, a liquor cellar with a bacchanalian performance, a betting parlor and a room designed to unearth mysteries.
Actors from the murder mystery theater company Without a Cue will engage partygoers through mystery challenges and games. Some of the other entertainers include burlesque performer Minnie d' Moocha and Commedia dell'Arte actors.
"As a writer, director, and producer of fiction podcast stories or short films, I am used to working with actors whose lines are entirely scripted, so I'm excited about the actors from Without a Cue since they are improvisational actors," Juchniewicz said. "This is a very different kind of challenge for me, but one that I'm excited to undertake. I am humbled and excited to take the creations of a literary legend like Edgar Allen Poe and transform them into living, breathing experiences in which the audience can immerse themselves."
Guests are asked to wear their best cocktail party attire or dress like a Venetian Carnivale goer. Wearing a masquerade mask is required. Italian restaurant Nunzios will be serving a special four-course meal.
General admission tickets are $120 and include food and complimentary beer and wine for those 21 and older. VIP tickets, which are now sold out, were available for $200 and included early access, in-game perks, a gift bag, and tickets to an upcoming Envoute show.
First published in 1842, "The Masque of the Red Death" is a short story that follows Prince Prospero as he trys to avoid catching the Red Death plague. In the story, Prospero and other characters host a ball. After confronting a stranger about their costume, Prospero dies. The story explores themes of mortality and the desire to fight off death.
The story has been adapted into several films, plays, audiobooks and comics. Notably, the character Erik dresses as the Red Death in "The Phantom of the Opera."
