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Doug Boyce (L) and Dr. Peter Ayers appear in Shakespeare by the Sea’s production of Edgar Allan Poe’s creepy tale The Cask of Amontillado.

Dr. Peter Ayers of Memorial University’s Department of English is lending his talents to Shakespeare by the Sea’s production of Edgar Allan Poe’s creepy tale The Cask of Amontillado this summer. Dr. Ayers chuckles about his role as Montresor which has provided an introduction to walling up alive one’s enemies.

“It could become a habit hard to break.”

Dr. Ayers appears with Doug Boyce, who plays the unfortunate Forunato, and 17-year-old Vicki Gould, The Lady of the Vaults, who provides a prologue about the Vaults and the enigmatic Poe. The play marks Ayers' fourth appearance with Shakespeare By The Sea; the first was The Tempest at Logy Bay 11 years ago. He also appears regularly in the productions of the Memorial University Theatre Stream.

Performer and writer Dale Jarvis, a graduate of Memorial’s MA Folklore program, adapted Poe’s classic short story about wine, revenge and murder for the play, which he directs in the made-to-order ambience of Newman Wine Vaults Provincial Historic Site at 436 Water St., St. John’s.

The show has been enjoying sold out performances, and runs at 9:30 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until the final performance on Aug. 10. Tickets are $10 at the door, and include a complimentary sample of Newman’s Celebrated Port after the show. For more information call the Newfoundland Historic Trust at 739-7870 or Shakespeare by the Sea Festival at 576-0980.