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Cris Johnson's Spooky Library Programs
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Adult Library Program · 60 Minutes · Any Room, Any Size
We still don’t know what killed Edgar Allan Poe.
- Adults
- 60 minutes
- Fits your smallest meeting room
He was found delirious in Baltimore, in clothes that weren’t his own, and died four days later without ever explaining what had happened. Then the man he’d named his literary executor spent years telling the world he was a degenerate.
Your patrons know The Raven. They don’t know any of this.
Check my October dates What your guests will see
Or call me directly — (716) 940-8963
The hook
Why celebrate Poe with a show instead of a talk
Edgar Allan Poe’s impact on literature cannot be overstated. He’s one of the most celebrated authors of all time, and he’s known for creating some of the spookiest and grisliest works ever written.
He also invented the detective story, wrote one of the first pieces of science fiction, and produced a newspaper hoax so convincing that New York believed a man had crossed the Atlantic by balloon.
So why does every Poe event turn into a lecture?
The man behind the Gothic horror is every bit as interesting as the horror itself — the theories about what actually killed him, and the character assassination that began almost the moment he was buried.
That’s a story worth telling properly. Not read aloud from a podium. Performed.
What’s in it
The works your guests will see brought to life
Here’s a sample of the Poe featured in this 60-minute program:
- The Raven
- The Tell-Tale Heart
- The Masque of the Red Death
- Murders in the Rue Morgue
- The Gold Bug
- The Balloon-Hoax
- The Cask of Amontillado
- …and many more
To illustrate each one, your patrons don’t listen — they participate. Ghostly messages appearing from beyond. Psychic revelations of thought-of people and objects. Interactive, spooky, and pitched squarely at an adult audience.
What happens in the room
This is a show, not a lecture
People come to a library event to have fun. Maybe to learn something about a subject they’re already interested in. Nobody comes hoping to sit through a dry reading delivered in a monotone — and yet that’s what a Poe evening usually is.
This one isn’t. Here’s what actually happens:
- An amazing psychic demonstration reveals Poe’s lifelong battle with substance abuse
- Patrons handle pendulums… with unexpected results
- Four patrons try to survive their own encounter with the Red Death
- One guest takes an imaginary trip to Poe’s gravesite, with a startling conclusion
- The Tell-Tale Heart comes to life
- A message appears between two sealed chalk slates. Is it from Poe?
…and a good many more surprises.
Your patrons know The Raven. By the end, they’ll want the rest of the shelf.
Adults · 60 minutes · unique props, atmospheric music, real audience interaction
Why a library, specifically
The rare program that sends people back to the stacks
Most entertainment leaves when the entertainer does. This one doesn’t.
Every work in the show is sitting on your shelves already — and most of your patrons have only ever read one of them. They’ll leave wanting The Cask of Amontillado, and they’ll leave wanting to know how the death theories shake out, and both of those are your books.
For a library, that’s the whole argument: an evening people enjoy, that also moves the collection you already own.
Proof
What librarians and media specialists say about Cris Johnson’s adult programs
“There are typically two types of programs — ones that are interesting and ones that are fun. This was that rare experience of being both. Everyone left engaged and happy.”
Patrick MontanaroLibrary Director
Ogden Farmers’ Library, Spencerport, NY
“I loved your program — it was a great mix of spooky and fascinating and informational. The patrons loved it, too! The props were amazing! I was thinking about them all weekend.”
Amy HendersonAdult Services Librarian
Irondequoit Public Library, Rochester, NY
“This was one of our most popular programs of the year! Our patrons enjoyed the audience participation and were very happy with the program. Highly entertaining and educational. Thank you so much!”
Carol Ellen Kowalik-HappyLibrarian
Olean Public Library, Olean, NY
“Cris was a very self-sufficient and flexible performer. The audience was very engaged and entertained, with several true shocks and surprises. Great mix of history, surprises, and the supernatural.”
Kirstra OttoLibrarian
Greece Public Library, Greece, NY
“It was mind-boggling — I don’t know how you did what you did! It was awesome, I loved it!”
Stacy WicksallLibrary Director
Macedon Public Library, Macedon, NY
“Fascinating history of sites, regardless of whether you believe in ghosts or not! Great thrills and scares!”
Theresa StrebLibrary Director
Lyons Public Library, Lyons, NY
“It was a great performance! He kept me wondering what was next! Cris was very knowledgeable. I thought it was very interesting and informative.”
Nancy RaymondLibrary Director
Genesee Public Library, Little Genesee, NY
“WOW! Totally awesome show — our audience was blown away! Also learned quite a bit about some historical facts. I recommend for libraries to have Cris Johnson come and present a show.”
Kate PuehnLibrarian
Elma Library, Elma, NY
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Easy to host
The easiest adult library show you’ll book.
- I bring all of it — the unusual props, the artifacts, the atmospheric music.
- The only thing I need from you is a room. That’s genuinely it.
- Hosts in virtually any library meeting room — perfect for small, intimate audiences, and it scales to bigger crowds without changing.
- Fast set-up, and I work around your schedule.
- Poster and a customized press release to publicize the event.
- No deposits. Ever.
Better than money-back
If you don’t feel your guests were amazed, delighted and entertained, you get the show free — and I’ll donate $500 to your library.
In over 20 years, not a single client has ever taken me up on it.
Book it
October always sells out.
I perform over 200 shows each year across New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio, Connecticut and New Jersey. With a travel schedule like that, prime dates go early — and October goes first.
Call me at (716) 940-8963 — that’s my cell phone — or email [email protected].
To avoid disappointment, get in touch today, while you’re thinking about it.