Announcing our newest museum partnership

Ghostlight is excited to be teaming up with the Chicago History Museum for their Spooky Sunday event!

The museum will celebrate the Spooky Season with a screening of the Chicago-based horror film Child’s Play (1988, dir. Tom Holland) on Sunday, October 13, 2024.

Following the film, Ghostlight will host a spooky-themed trivia game about other horror movies set in Chicago. And in between each round, actors will perform live reenactments of scenes from these movies on stage. Prizes will be awarded to trivia winners.

The fun begins at 2 p.m.

This event is included with general admission to the museum. Tickets are available on the Chicago History Museum website.

Look for even more fun events with the Chicago History Museum in the new year!

Up Next: Cinema Chaos: Birdemic: Shock and Terror

Cinema Chaos is a monthly unrehearsed movie reading series that joins our ongoing monthly staged movie reading series bringing audiences two movies a month — one rehearsed and well acted and the other…complete and utter chaos.

A group of actors who have never seen the movie in question show up unrehearsed and uncast to perform the script with only 5 minutes to prepare. Roles will be cast at the start of the reading.

In June we’ll be doing that modern classic independent romantic thriller-horror film: Birdemic: Shock and Terror. (Stay tuned for sequels Birdemic 2: The Resurrection and Birdemic 3: Sea Eagle because you can never have too much Birdemic!)

Never seen Birdemic? Neither have we! That's the point. Come have fun with us -- theatre doesn't always have to be serious! 

The Birdemic cast is: Nile Arena, Becca Argento, Jackie Baker, Billy Bronson, Jean E. Mueller-Burr and Dennis Davies.

Readings take place at the Black Eagle Club in Chicago.

Up Next: Oh My Godddddd!!: A Troll 2 Live Reading

Ghostlight Ensemble presents the next installment of its ongoing live movie reading series: Oh My Godddddd!!: A Troll 2 Live Reading.

Join us at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 9, 2018, at My Buddy's (4416 N Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640) to kick your season of Halloween celebrations off to a frightful start — not because the movie is scary, just scary bad.

Troll 2 is a 1990 horror film that has nothing to do with trolls or the movie to which its title claims to be a sequel. The plot concerns a family pursued by vegetarian goblins who seek to transform them into plants so that they can eat them. It is widely considered to be the worst film ever made.

The reading is directed by Christopher Paul Mueller.

There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door, which will help Ghostlight fund its upcoming season. Costumes are encouraged.

Jacobson gives life to children's nightmares in horror-inspired 'Nutcracker'

Victoria Jacobson (right) rehearses for the holiday horror play "Nutcracker Nightmare," which opens on Friday, Dec. 8.

In Victoria Jacobson’s book, things that slither along the ground are scary. Dolls are not. And yet in her latest role as Zipakna, a worry doll that comes to life and terrorizes the Stahlbaum family in “Nutcracker Nightmare,” she is tasked with making an audience think just that.

“The biggest challenge was trying to find the balance between doll and creepy in a movement sense, Jacobson said. “What I consider to be bump-in-the-night scary are things that slither or move lower to the floor, while a doll would not necessarily be the type of creature to do so. Exploring a spectrum of movements in that sense is something that I worked on the hardest.”

Read more about Jacobson and her work in The Chicago Tribune and the Lakeview Patch.

Nielsen takes on the (red) mantle for iconic Nutcracker role

Cary native P. Tyler Nielsen (second from right) rehearses for "Nutcracker Nightmare," which opens this week.

Words may be the weapon most closely associated with an actor's trade, but for P. Tyler Nielsen taking on the iconic role of The Nutcracker in "Nutcracker Nightmare" meant acting with his body…and with actual weapons.

"I love the physical challenge of portraying such an iconic character who has so few lines," Nielsen said. "There is much to convey without the chance to verbalize the Nutcracker's internal journey.

"In addition, the chance to discover how a nutcracker might move, fight and express love is a joy," he added.

Read more about Tyler and his work in the Chicago Tribune or the Crystal Lake Patch.

Ghostlight holding auditions for Nutcracker Nightmare

Ghostlight Ensemble will hold auditions for its production of Nutcracker Nightmare, part of our ongoing Gingerbread Grindhouse holiday horror series on, Tuesday, October 24 and Wednesday 25 from 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Theater Momentum (1803 W Byron St #216, Chicago, IL 60613) .

Nutcracker Nightmare is a holiday tale of children, the toys they love and the toys that try to kill everyone they love. It's the perfect holiday entertainment.

Time Commitment:
Performance Dates: Friday, December 8; Saturday, December 9; Friday December 15 and Satuday, December 16 at 10:30 p.m. at the Greenhouse Theatre Center.

Material To Prepare:
Please prepare a 1-2 minute comic or serio-comic monologue and don't take yourself too seriously. Submit H/R to Jean at casting(at)ghostlightensemble.com, and she will be in touch to schedule an audition appointment.

Note: This a Non-Union, unpaid production.

Krampus returns in December

Only four performances of Krampus! remain!

Get your tickets now for our December run, which begins at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, December 5, at the Underground Wonder Bar in River North.

Krampus! follows the Murray family as they get together for one final Christmas as a family before their eldest daughter moves to New York City with her boyfriend. And what could be more perfect than spending the holiday with your bickering family in a remote cabin in the Wisconsin woods during a snowstorm with a Christmas demon on the loose? Nothing says Christmas like abject fear.

Directed by Maria Burnham, Krampus! stars Jean E. Burr, Sean Harklerode, Stefanie Johnsen, Allison McCorkle, Christopher Paul Mueller, John Rohr, Paul Tinsley, Michael Wagman and Chad Wise, with Fight Choreography by Alex Farrington. Cast bios are on our website.

The show takes place at Underground Wonder Bar (710 N. Clark St., Chicago 60654) at 7:30 p.m. on October 31, November 1, November 7-8, December 5-6 and December 12-13, 2016. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door. 

Join Ghostlight and Krampus at Martyrs' Krampus Fest

Ghostlight Ensemble is excited to be a part of the Fourth Annual Krampus Fest at Martyrs' on Saturday, December 3, 2016.

The holiday market starts at noon with the Krampuslauf parade stepping off at 6 p.m. Entry is free and costumes are encouraged! The Fest features local artists, makers and bakers; German street food, gluhwein, beer and live music.

Make sure you stop by our table. We'll be there to chat about our show, Krampus! Come meet the creators, director and members of the cast. Plus pick up some Ghostlight swag and find out what else we have in store.

What's all this about Krampus, you ask? In European folklore, Krampus is the dark companion of Saint Nicholas. With cloven hooves, a long tongue and goat-like horns, Krampus (also known as Black Peter) punishes the naughty children while Saint Nicholas rewards the good. Krampus Night, or Krampusnacht, is celebrated on December 5 each year.

If you can't wait till Krampus Fest on Saturday, you can check out a preview of Krampus! at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 29, at Martyrs before PechaKucha Night.

Krampus! time is near: Save the date for our holiday show

Krampus! rehearsals are underway. From left: Stefanie Johnsen, Chris Mueller, Jean E. Burr, Allison McCorkle and Chad Wise.

Ghostlight Ensemble brings Christmas to Halloween — and vice versa— as we present Krampus!, Jaclyn Jensen and Mike Wozniak’s new take on the classic holiday tale of switches and chains and devils who punish naughty children by stuffing them into baskets and dragging them to the fiery depths of hell.

Mrs. Murray is looking forward to one final Christmas together as a family before her eldest daughter takes off to New York City with her boyfriend. And what could be more perfect than spending the holiday with her bickering family in a remote cabin in the Wisconsin woods during a snowstorm with a Christmas demon on the loose? Nothing says Christmas like abject fear.

Krampus! will be performed on select Mondays and Tuesdays beginning October 31, at Underground Wonder Bar in River North. The holidays can't come soon enough — or be scary enough.
 
Directed by Maria Burnham, Krampus! stars Jean E. Burr, Sean Harklerode, Stefanie Johnsen, Allison McCorkle, Chris Mueller, John Rohr, Paul Tinsley, Michael Wagman and Chad Wise, with Fight Choreography by Alex Farrington.
 
The show takes place at Underground Wonder Bar (710 N. Clark St., Chicago 60654) at 7:30 p.m. on October 31, November 1, November 7-8, December 5-6 and December 12-13, 2016. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door.