The starkly simple production by Sarah Meyers, which placed Pojanowski in the merciless glare of a single spotlight, proved one of the most effective stagings I’ve seen from the always-inventive On Site Opera.

Here, director Sarah Meyers added strategic lighting to the dark vaults of the crypt, along with a minimal acting surface and a simple chair. That, plus the accompaniment of Mr. Kallor and Mr. Roman was enough to create the sheer psychological terror of Poe’s tale, as sung by mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Pojanowski.

Both director and performer made wise use of this performance space. Special mention should also be made of the lighting design by Shawn Kaufman, which included the clever deployment of a manipulated spotlight to highlight the narrator’s creepy obsession with the old man’s eye.