SandyBlogsTheatre Ghosts
December 24th 2008 04:14
Christmas is upon us. One sure sign the holidays have arrived? There are not one, not two, but FOUR theatres within 100miles of me doing A Christmas Carol. There are also 2 productions of A Christmas Story (based on the film), one theatre doing It’s A Wonderful Life (again, film-based), and even the local strip club advertising their XXX-mas Spectaular.
Now, I’m not a Scrooge, but this is not going to be a christmas blog. In fact, all this Christmas Carol overload has got me thinking about ghosts. Not the past, present, and future Christmas ghosts; but theatre ghosts. It seems every theatre has one. From my highschool drama club to big Broadway theatres, it seems there is always a ghostly legend surrounding the stage.
One famous theatre to have a ghost is the Drury Lane Theatre. Actors and audiance both have reported seeing strange blue lights, a soft green glow, and even the ghost of a young gentleman. Rumor has it that when the building was being renovated a skeleton was found of a man who was murdered.
Another well known theatre ghost would be the Palace Theatre Ghost in New York. Legend has it acrobat Louis Borsalino haunts the theatre after falling to his death during a show in the 1950s. Employees claim they hear his ghost screaming as he re-enacts his deathly fall. Now, I’m not sure what ghost people are seeing, but it is not Louis Borsalino. While the famous arobat did fall in front of a large crowd in the 1930s, he survived the fall. Over the years however, his ghostly legend grows.
Duke of York’s Theatre in London (home of Peter Pan’s first flight in 1904) has a resident ghost. She is often seen dressed in black and likes to slam doors backstage. No one knows who she is, but she is referred to as ‘Madame” and many believe her to be the wife of the theatre’s first owner.
The Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee is so proud of Mary, their theatre ghost, that they advertise her on their website. They give a full description of the little girl who has haunted the theatre for 80 years. The National Theatre in Washington, DC also advertises their ghost on their website. Actor John Edward McCollough was killed during an arguament with a fellow thespian and is said to be the theatre’s ‘spectral overseer’ and ‘ghostly custodian’ (sounds like a stage manager spirit to me).
Every college and university theatre has stories of a theatre ghost. My own alma mater had stories of the ghost of a former student. A sad, heartbroken boy who supposedly killed himself after losing his girlfriend to a fellow thespian. I never saw the spirit, but every lost hand prop, broken light, or strange sound was attributed to him.
I myself have been to many theatres that were said to be haunted. Sadly, I’ve never witnessed anything interesting. But I still love the stories and legends surrounding these infamous theatre ghosts.
I leave you with the words of Scrooge, written by the legendary Charles Dickens, "I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!"
Now, I’m not a Scrooge, but this is not going to be a christmas blog. In fact, all this Christmas Carol overload has got me thinking about ghosts. Not the past, present, and future Christmas ghosts; but theatre ghosts. It seems every theatre has one. From my highschool drama club to big Broadway theatres, it seems there is always a ghostly legend surrounding the stage.
One famous theatre to have a ghost is the Drury Lane Theatre. Actors and audiance both have reported seeing strange blue lights, a soft green glow, and even the ghost of a young gentleman. Rumor has it that when the building was being renovated a skeleton was found of a man who was murdered.
Another well known theatre ghost would be the Palace Theatre Ghost in New York. Legend has it acrobat Louis Borsalino haunts the theatre after falling to his death during a show in the 1950s. Employees claim they hear his ghost screaming as he re-enacts his deathly fall. Now, I’m not sure what ghost people are seeing, but it is not Louis Borsalino. While the famous arobat did fall in front of a large crowd in the 1930s, he survived the fall. Over the years however, his ghostly legend grows.
Duke of York’s Theatre in London (home of Peter Pan’s first flight in 1904) has a resident ghost. She is often seen dressed in black and likes to slam doors backstage. No one knows who she is, but she is referred to as ‘Madame” and many believe her to be the wife of the theatre’s first owner.
The Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee is so proud of Mary, their theatre ghost, that they advertise her on their website. They give a full description of the little girl who has haunted the theatre for 80 years. The National Theatre in Washington, DC also advertises their ghost on their website. Actor John Edward McCollough was killed during an arguament with a fellow thespian and is said to be the theatre’s ‘spectral overseer’ and ‘ghostly custodian’ (sounds like a stage manager spirit to me).
Every college and university theatre has stories of a theatre ghost. My own alma mater had stories of the ghost of a former student. A sad, heartbroken boy who supposedly killed himself after losing his girlfriend to a fellow thespian. I never saw the spirit, but every lost hand prop, broken light, or strange sound was attributed to him.
I myself have been to many theatres that were said to be haunted. Sadly, I’ve never witnessed anything interesting. But I still love the stories and legends surrounding these infamous theatre ghosts.
I leave you with the words of Scrooge, written by the legendary Charles Dickens, "I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!"
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