GreenMan Theatre Troupe brings 'Spooky Stories and Songs of the Season' to Elmhurst
It's almost Halloween, so why not come out and celebrate the year's creepiest season with an evening of ghost stories and spine-tingling songs!
GreenMan Theatre Troupe's “Spooky Stories and Songs of the Season,” intended for adults and older children, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 13-14, at First United Methodist Church of Elmhurst, 232 S. York St.
The cost for “Spooky Stories and Songs of the Season” is $10, payable by cash or check at the door.
The event will also be presented at the Elmhurst Public Library, 125 S. Prospect Ave., at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18.
The cast for “Spooky Stories and Songs of the Season” features Cassy Beach, Julie Brandon, Melanie Conklin, Marilyn Connolly, Laurel Poe-Gallagher, Debbie Proska, Victoria Rebeck, Steven Soria and Carolyn Thomas-Davidoff.
The storytellers and singers will present eight to nine stories and three songs during the performance.
“There's been a renaissance in storytelling in the United States,” said Thomas-Davidoff, event director. “It's an old-fashioned form of entertainment and a nice way to get away from TV and electronics.”
“Spooky Stories and Songs of the Season” stories were developed at a recent storytelling class held by GreenMan Theatre. “It's fascinating to see how our storytellers grow over time,” said Thomas-Davidoff, who led the class. “They become better at doing different voices and characters and establishing a mood to create a feeling of creepiness.”
Connolly's story, “Double-Faced Ghost,” is based on a Native American story of a ghost who falls in love with a maiden and wants to marry her.
“The ghost is absolutely enormous, and the maiden objects to him because he's too tall and too dead,” said Connolly, who has told stories for over 45 years, both at Greenman Theatre and during her career. “The original story had very little about the ghost's appearance. I added more detail so people can picture in their minds how hideous his double face is, his gigantic height, and his long, lean, muscular legs that allow him to stride across hills and over mountains.”
For “The Skull,” Beach tweaked the original story to tell of a young girl who ends up in an orphanage after her parents die from the plague. The smart and resourceful girl runs away to a mansion inhabited by a scary skull. “I like clever-girl stories,” Beach said. “There are dozens and dozens of clever-Jack stories, but back then girls weren't expected to be clever.”
In its 20th season, GreenMan Theatre Troupe is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to provide a source of cultural enrichment and pride for the community by presenting diverse, quality productions and providing opportunities for personal growth in the theatrical arts.
GreenMan has been presenting plays in Elmhurst since being founded in 2003. Past productions include “The Odd Couple," "Dracula," and "Pride and Prejudice."
GreenMan also offers classes and workshops for members and the community and welcomes new members and participants in all aspects of theatre production. GreenMan programs are partially supported by Explore Elmhurst, as well as other individual and corporate donations.