Allen Park Parks and Recreation presented their youth production of “Ghostchasers” Oct. 23 and 24 at the Allen Park Auditorium. The show also featured a haunted hallway, and a chance to talk to real-life ghost hunters.
Jesse Bonstelle:
“Her spirit yet must hover in the wings, to spur the actor yet to higher things”
By Sue Suchyta
Theaters have long been known for paranormal activity. Even normally prosaic souls have had unnerving experiences. The Players Guild of Dearborn has had multiple witness sightings of ghosts and unexplained phenomena.
The Bonstelle Theatre, Wayne State’s undergraduate venue, is reputed to have its own ghosts. One of its most active ghosts is thought to be the spirit of Jesse Bonstelle, one of its strongest hands-on supporters, who died young.
Since August, student actors and technicians at the Bonstelle have experienced unexplained phenomena during rehearsals, and backstage during performances of “The Talented Tenth,” which closed Sunday.
The Mad Anthony Paranormal Society (MAPS) has worked with the Bonstelle Theatre to investigate the phenomena, which includes specific unexplained sound distortion heard over technical headsets during specific scenes, as well as full-bodied apparitions.
MAPS will present their findings free to the public from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Bonstelle Theatre. They will present audio evidence they have uncovered, and will share their observations at the theater. The doors open at 6:30 p.m.
The event is co-sponsored by Emagine Cinemas. The first 100 attendees will receive a free ticket to the Paramont Pictures release of “Paranormal Activity,” courtesy of Emagine Entertainment.
“Jesse Bonstelle’s spirit lives, come and listen to the evidence captured on audio and judge for yourself,” said Curtis Brahm, founder of MAPS.
Ironically, the Bonstelle’s next theatrical production will also follow a ghostly theme. They will present “A Christmas Carol” based on the Charles Dickens classic Dec. 4 to 6 and 11 to 13. On Christmas Eve Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by his deceased business partner and is warned by three ghosts to change his ways. The ghosts remind him of the value of life and the true meaning of Christmas. Go to Web site www.theatre.wayne.edu/bonstelle for more information.