Author Topic: So...do ya think you're theatre is haunted?  (Read 29322 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

megan.s.lehr

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 11
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: FPHS Drama and AV Technician for PWCS
  • Current Gig: Guys and Dolls
  • Experience: High School
Re: So...do ya think you're theatre is haunted?
« Reply #15 on: Jan 19, 2012, 11:28 pm »
I'm not sure that my theatre is haunted... but it definitely has had some very STRANGE occurrences.

First one was during the first showing of White Christmas December 2010. My Director was up in the lights prepared to get the snow machine going when suddenly she felt like someone was behind her.. She though they had come up to ask her a question and she started turning around to ask what they needed and realized... no one could be behind her. She started to freak out and refused to look back. She then proceeded to text me me the entire time saying how freaked out she was.
The next showing came around and nothing happened she felt completely fine.

The second incident happened a bit after that like... ehh early spring? We all stayed after practice one day (actors and I) and we were discussing what we thought of different parts of the performance so far and suddenly the lights flicker. We didn't think anything of it at first. Then it happened again... and the third time the lights went out completely. being stage manager of course they tell me to bring up the lights (thanks guys). So I walked backstage to the light box we have there and I swear I thought I saw something but I  went to check the lights that were once slid up  and slid them back to there former position and turned on the lights and no one was there checked, the outside hallway even while the lights were out and in the workroom.

Since then the lights have done strange things like that but never like that, atleast when it does it now it seems to be wiring. Take it as you wish but that's the paranormal sitings of my theatre.
"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring."
— Marilyn Monroe

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."
— Dr. Seuss

catalinacisne

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 35
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Experience: Professional
Re: So...do ya think you're theatre is haunted?
« Reply #16 on: Jan 20, 2012, 01:34 pm »
The founder and original Artistic Director would haunt the Mainstage theatre, appearing in his favorite balcony seat in his signature white tux every opening night performance. Several actors reported seeing him from the stage. The performance space had major renovations done in the 90s (gutted and entirely redone), and once the renovations were complete, the current Artistic Director took a portrait of the founder through the new theatre, showing him every nook and cranny that had been changed. The ghost hasn't been seen since - we like to think he's pleased with what we're doing.

On a darker note, the building our theatre is in was built in the 1830s, and during the Civil War was a church. The hotel across the street was being used as a hospital. Because churches and hospitals could not be entered by combatant soldiers, they were safe houses. The confederate soldiers in charge of the buildings took advantage of this by stockpiling supplies, weapons, and ammunition in the top floors of the hospitals. An underground tunnel connected the hospital to the church, so soldiers could smuggle guns from the hospital through the tunnel and out the church. When the Union soldiers figured out what was going on, they invaded the church, found the tunnel, and shot dead the two soldiers they found in the tunnel. The two soldiers still haunt that tunnel.

Since the theatre has been in existence, people have known about the tunnel ghosts. Ernst Borgnine and Gregory Peck both had ghostly encounters while working at the theatre, and countless technicians working overnight change-overs have reported hearing screams and thumps coming from the room with the tunnel. In the 90s the city did road work on the road above the tunnel, causing the middle of the tunnel to cave in, separating the ghosts (we believe), making them even more pissed off (we know). When we were having the remodeling overhaul, three construction workers were taking their meal break at 3am in the room with the mouth of the tunnel. All at the same time, without saying anything or looking at each other, all three men ran from the room as fast as they could. Our Artistic Director had to come to the theatre in his pajamas, go fetch the men's lunch boxes, and give them their severance pay on the spot, as all three men refused to ever set foot in our theatre again. The hotel has sealed off their side of the tunnel, but ours is still open - we use it to store extra cyc lights and lamps.

avkid

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 259
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Philip LaDue
  • Affiliations: RFL, IATSE
  • Current Gig: Carpenter/Flyman at Count Basie Center For The Arts
  • Experience: Professional
Re: So...do ya think you're theatre is haunted?
« Reply #17 on: Jan 23, 2012, 01:48 am »
Absolutely, and it's being featured in an episode of "Fact Or Faked" on SyFy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smdMVA5zK5s
That's an old video by a local group of ghost hunters.
« Last Edit: Apr 24, 2012, 09:13 pm by avkid »
Philip LaDue
IATSE Local #21 Newark, NJ

avkid

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 259
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Philip LaDue
  • Affiliations: RFL, IATSE
  • Current Gig: Carpenter/Flyman at Count Basie Center For The Arts
  • Experience: Professional
Re: So...do ya think you're theatre is haunted?
« Reply #18 on: Apr 24, 2012, 09:15 pm »
Our episode of Fact Or Faked; Paranormal Files is on right now!
It also re-airs at 11PM Eastern and video should be available on SyFy in a few days.
Philip LaDue
IATSE Local #21 Newark, NJ

avkid

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 259
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Philip LaDue
  • Affiliations: RFL, IATSE
  • Current Gig: Carpenter/Flyman at Count Basie Center For The Arts
  • Experience: Professional
Philip LaDue
IATSE Local #21 Newark, NJ

 

riotous