Notice (8): Trying to access array offset on value of type null [APP/Controller/Component/ParamsComponent.php, line 114]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /var/www/vhosts/devel4/p300/lib/Cake/Utility/Debugger.php:797) [APP/Lib/Globals.php, line 156]
Arts and Entertainment
August 31, 2025

CREATIVE NOTES ON A CHICAGO STAGE VETERAN PRESENTING A 2022 VIDEO THEATRE RENDITION OF EDGAR ALLAN POE'S "THE CONQUEROR WORM" PERFORMED OUTDOORS IN LA'S MACARTHUR PARK!

Chicago-born and theatre-trained artist, Darryl Maximilian Robinson, a seasoned stage actor and play director, created a compelling video theatre rendition of Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Conqueror Worm."

Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago and Excaliber Shakespeare Company Los Angeles Archival Project Founder Darryl Maximilian Robinson, a 51-year-long American Stage Performer who received both a 1997 Chicago Joseph Jefferson Citation Award for Outstanding Actor In A Principal Role In A Play and a 1997 Chicago Black Theatre Alliance / Ira Aldridge Award nomination for Best Leading Actor In A Play for his critically-praised performance as Sam Semela in The Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago revival of Athol Fugard's "Master Harold And The Boys" presented at the much-missed Heartland Cafe Studio Theatre of Rogers Park as well as a 2019 Broadwayworld Chicago Award nomination for Best Performer In A Musical or Revue for his critically-praised performance as The Chairman Mr. William Cartwright and Mayor Thomas Sapsea in the 2018 Saint Sebastian Players of Chicago revival production of Rupert Holmes' Tony Award-winning musical whodunit "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" at the more than a century old St Bonaventure Church, provides his rendering of Poe's "The Conqueror Worm" as a dramatic reflection of current times.

This literary arts performance videotaped and photographed on July 19, 2022 by skilled fellow actor and Chicago theatre veteran Danny Belrose ( a critically-praised alum of The Trap Door Theatre ), was staged at the Levitt Pavilion in Los Angeles' MacArthur Park and is part of Darryl Maximilian Robinson's Excaliber Shakespeare Company Los Angeles Archival Project.



In this interpretation, Robinson brings Poe’s haunting meditation on mortality and decay to life with theatrical flair. The poem, known for its grim allegory of human existence as a tragic play watched by angels, culminates in the arrival of the titular "Conqueror Worm"—a symbol of inevitable death. Robinson’s performance is described as “street theatre”-style, echoing his previous Poe renditions like "Annabel Lee" and "El Dorado."


If you’re drawn to Gothic literature or enjoy dramatic poetry readings, this video is a must-watch. You can find it on YouTube or through Performing Arts Live.

![]()

In 2022, Darryl Maximilian Robinson was named a winner of a Making The World Happening Award from the international activities group Allevents.in for his numerous online theatre-related offerings during the early years of The Covid-19 Pandemic.

REMEMBER THIS POE OFFERING COME HALLOWEEN OF 2025!
https://youtu.be/xvWwXLJrT1U?si=-ocjWUKUSHyHkEQp
https://youtu.be/AN_zwpUa2iY?si=3GDrtTwQdwMT4nyN
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48633/the-conqueror-worm
https://mycityscene.com/32108-aabc6cae
