Poe on the stage, Halloween on the screen

It was a different kind of Halloween for many different reasons this year, but all-in-all I think it will definitely go down as one of the most memorable of my life.

Our family dressed up as characters from the movie Toy Story, with me as Woody, my wife, Lindsey, as Bo Peep, our soon-to-be 8-year-old son, Connor, as Buzz Lightyear, and our two-year-old daughter, Olivia, as Jessie the Cowgirl.

The kids got to do some trick-or-treating at family members’ houses, and they brought home a ton of candy that we will probably still be working our way through until next spring.

The night before Halloween, on Fri., Oct. 30, Connor and I made our way down to Whitley County High School to see the Colonel Players present “An Evening With Edgar Allan Poe.” It was the first time I had ever seen the Players myself, and WOW, I was super impressed!

The actors on stage did a fantastic job, and the big, bright moon rising up from behind the WCHS amphitheater set the mood perfectly for the presentation of Poe’s macabre tales.

On Sunday, the day after Halloween, my wife and I had the chance to go to the Tri-County Cineplex and watch one of my all-time favorite horror films – John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978) – on the big screen courtesy of the theater’s Flashback Cinema promotion.

I have seen the original Halloween at least 50 times, but this was the first time that I had ever sat in a theater to watch it. I really enjoyed the experience.

I hope that your Halloween was fun as well. Even though we weren’t able to do many of the things that we normally would because of the pandemic, there still seemed to be a lot going on in our local communities.

Before I end, let me say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my son on Nov. 9. I am very proud of you!

The Whitley County High School Colonel Players presented ‘An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe’ Friday and Saturday at the Whitley County High School Amphitheater. The show was a compilation of six of the author’s works, including poems, “The Bells,” and “The Raven,” in addition to short stories, such as “The Telltale Heart,” “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” and “The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether.” (Photos by TREVOR SHERMAN and SCOTT POWELL)