A lone amber lightbulb cuts through the darkness, casting shadows across towering curtains as student actors seek the mysterious light’s approval.
South Campus’s original production of “GHOSTlight Gallery ’26,” written by Technical Director Scott Wild, centers around the “ghost light,” a longstanding superstition in theater culture. Some actors believe that a theater is never truly empty, and a ghost light is meant to ward off spirits.
“I definitely think ghosts are real or could be,” actor Piper Cennamo said. “I really like spooky scary things, so having our whole play be around that culture of the superstition of the ghost light is really cool.”
The play, which runs Oct. 29-31, follows five college drama students, trapped in a theater overnight by a mysterious spirit. To leave, they must find a way to please the ghosts by acting out different Halloween-themed scenes, with their only communication being through the ghost light.
All of the characters are named after the actors who portray them.
Wild decided to write a play focused on theater students because he could play off their personality strengths.
“Scott, who wrote our scripts, emphasized certain traits that we expressed,” actor Owen Maddox said. “I think for each of us, we can relate to that in a way.”
Maddox said his character is exaggerated as a ranting skeptic in some scenes.
“Are landlords vampires? Is the moth man running the DMV? There’s one about the moon,” he said. “He’s got all sorts of things going on.”
Director Lindy Benton-Muller has been acting for 47 years. Creating a production from scratch presents challenges but also opportunities, she said.
“A choreographer would build a dance on a dancer using their strengths,” Benton-Muller said. “I build shows on actors.”
While the play borrows common horror tropes, Benton-Muller described it as a comedy.
The challenges and goals of acting in a horror-themed comedy differ greatly from a drama, and actor Serena Kissell said she hopes audiences can both enjoy the story and have a laugh.
“The spooky vibes are there,” Kissell said. “I feel like if they didn’t have a good time, we did it wrong.”
Benton-Muller said she hopes students on their way to a Halloween party can attend and see their classmates perform live theater. Many students have never seen live theater at this level, she said.
“I’ve been an actor for 45 years, so of course I want more theater,” she said. “I love my job, I love what I do and I love working for these students. It’s just a blast.”
The production features multiple first-time actors, but Benton-Muller said she directs them the same as she would direct a professional actor.
“I try and share with them what I know that helps me,” she said. “They’ll get experience. They’re getting there already.”
The first-time actors said Benton-Muller’s guidance and insistence on running lines has helped them prepare for the opening night. Hannah Falguera said the repetition and live rehearsals have made her more comfortable.
“I definitely do feel very empowered in this class, honestly, because this is actually my first show I’ve been in,” Falguera said. “Lindy’s an amazing actor and teacher. She knows what she’s doing, so it’s really great being under her.”
Actor Toby Hollowell plays a computer savvy college student who mostly stays in the background. Hollowell said Lindy’s directing has helped push her to be a better actor.
“I’m very shy, very introverted,” Hollowell said. “But Lindy gave me the confidence to really step forward into the light.”
