The campfire was barely throwing enough light to see the faces of the people gathered around it, so when the guitar started, and the song was sung, I swear I could almost see the woman in the long black veil wandering through the nearby cemetery. That was one of my first experiences with hearing about a ghost, but it was certainly not my last. Almost everyone has a ghost story or two to share. But if you’d like to experience another, then plan on being at the Historic Plaza Theatre, October 28th, 29th or 30th to witness the thrilling play, “Ghost Stories,” written by Mickey Fisher.
If Mickey Fisher’s name sounds familiar to you, it might be because he was the playwright who penned the Far Off Broadway Players’ production of Bram Stoker’s DRACULA in October of 2018. But Mickey isn’t just a playwright, he is the creator of TV series EXTANT that ran on CBS, REVERIE on NBC and he also worked on the series MARS for NatGeo, THE STRAIN on FX, and JACK RYAN on Amazon Prime.
I met Mickey years ago when I was working as an actor/director at Jenny Wiley Theatre in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. Mickey is an Ironton, OH native who started out as actor. But over the years he wrote many plays that were produced by Jenny Wiley, including a fun children’s play calledTHE MYTH MACHINE. Mickey directed me in the play, and over the years I became increasingly interested in his original work. He left for California in 2011 to launch his career as a screenwriter and producer, and in 2017, when I took over as Artistic Director for the Far Off Broadway Players, I couldn’t wait to stage some of Mickey’s plays. We had already produced Mickey’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, but I was thrilled to finally place his original script, GHOST STORIES on our schedule. I am happy to say we are finally able to bring the play to South Central Kentucky audiences.
I asked Mickey to tell me a little about the show and what inspired him to write it in the first place. “I have great memories of playing the ‘Bloody Mary’ game as a kid, locking myself in some dark bathroom and repeating her name three times.” he said. “I was always kind of hoping she would show up but mostly praying she wouldn’t. The suspense was my favorite part. Years later, when I was working for Jenny Wiley Theatre in Prestonsburg, we were looking to do an original play for Halloween. I came up with the idea of a group of modern-day ghost hunters going in search of the real Bloody Mary as a way of paying homage to the urban legend.” The group of paranormal investigators are led by a woman named Elly, played by local actor Jessica Gilbert. Elly lost her parents a few years ago, and since then she has been searching for proof of the supernatural. Along with her boyfriend, Charlie (Bradley Williams), her sound technician, Boze (Nick Swayne), her biggest fan, Taryn (Mollie Nichols), and Charlie’s friend, Sam (Allen Hogan), they travel to an abandoned home where Mary Worth had been killed. “The fun of writing it was finding that same balance when I was a kid,” Mickey continued. “Scary, suspenseful and most of all fun. I’m excited that she’s going to haunt The Far Off Broadway Players in October!”
If you are a fan of horror and thrillers, you will absolutely love this production! The set design by Peggy Goodman and John Yakel is fantastic, the lighting design by Jed Downing is breathtaking and the cast of local actors is top-notch! I’m certainly excited to be directing a killer cast!
Tickets are $15 but if you order 10 or more you can get a group discount. Ghost Stories runs October 28, 29 & 30 at the Plaza Theatre, 115 East Main Street, Glasgow, Kentucky. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Plaza Theatre at 270-361-2101or by visiting www.historicplaza.com. Warning: the play contains Strobe Lighting Effects, Sudden Loud Noises, Theatrical Haze/Fog and Chaotic, Potentially Disturbing Special Effects. Not recommended for children 13 and under.
-by Paul Glodfelter
Far Off Broadway Players Artistic Director
