Comparing The Tell-Tale Heart And The Tricky Part

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Recommended: Insightful literary criticism on the tell tale heart

One Man Show In the dramatic convention of a one man show, writer and reader alike find universal truths that can be applied to moments in their lives. A one person show, having been around for approximately 200 years, envelopes many of literatures timeless classics: Spalding Gray’s Swimming to Cambodia, Lisa Kron’s 2.5 Minute Ride, and Martin Moran’s The Tricky Part. The Tell-Tale Heart, a film version of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story by the same name, uses a one person show. The one person show also known as a “solo performance” has a long history in film and theatre. A one person show is a scripted solo performance featuring an actor who stands on stage and entertains an audience. (film glossary) Starting in the nineteenth century, public readings were given to reflect on great published works of literature. These …show more content…

Produced in 1987 as part of a project from Film for the Humanities starring Conrad Pomerleau, a caretaker kills the old man he is entrusted to monitor. There are a total of five characters all together: the caretaker, the old man, and the three policemen. One would think the audience would see actors for each character. In this film there is only one man actor; Conrad Pomerleau. Pomerleau tells the story “The Tell-Tale Heart” from the caretakers’ point of view, demonstrating how his mental illness affects his life step by step. Pomerleau starts by narrating the story at 0.48 where he then engages the audience at 1.31 saying “You fancy me mad?” Pomerleau discusses the old man at 1.56 and the policemen at 12.19 but these characters are never personified. Pomerleau does an exceptional job portraying the caretaker. The audience really gets an understanding of how sick this character actually is, especially at 15.27 when the caretaker has a mental meltdown. A one person show is seen perfectly in The Tell-Tale Heart, a film of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale

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