Ghostlight Theatre
Encyclopedia
Ghostlight Theatre is a theater company located in North Tonawanda, New York
. The building was originally a Methodist Church, known as Deutsche Vereinigte Evangelische Friedens Gemeinde (Or German United Evangelical Peace Congregation) of North Tonawanda.
, which in effect segregated the residents of Tonwanda
and North Tonawanda.
The request to separate was rejected by the Synod at the time, and congregational members decided to splinter off and form a church that had no affiliation, thereby becoming a Frieden Church, or Free Church.
It served that role until June 2000, when it moved to its new location in Amherst, New York
. In January 2001, the building was then purchased by Starry Night Theatre, Inc., and the name was changed to The Ghostlight Theatre.
, by Charles Dickens
, and Little Women
.
The Starry Night Theatre group is run by L. Don Swartz, who writes many of the plays that are performed at the Ghostlight Theatre, such as All Through the Night, The Birds That Stay, and A Night of Dark Intent.
The building has also had some reports of paranormal activity, with at least four paranormal investigation groups, such as Western New York Paranormal, Erie County Paranormal Association, Soul Seekers United and Buffalo Paranormal Society.
Many of these groups have purportedly experienced ghost
sightings, recorded instances of Electronic Voice Phenomena, among other experiences.
North Tonawanda, New York
North Tonawanda is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 31,568 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is named after Tonawanda Creek, its south border...
. The building was originally a Methodist Church, known as Deutsche Vereinigte Evangelische Friedens Gemeinde (Or German United Evangelical Peace Congregation) of North Tonawanda.
History
Construction started in 1889 to serve as a Methodist church for the German Immigrants who were separated from the rest of the immigrant population. This was caused by the construction of the Erie CanalErie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
, which in effect segregated the residents of Tonwanda
Tonawanda, New York
Tonawanda may refer to:*Glacial Lake Tonawanda*North Tonawanda, New York, a city in Niagara County, north across Tonawanda Creek from the City and Town*Tonawanda , New York, consisting of the Town of Tonawanda less the Village of Kenmore...
and North Tonawanda.
The request to separate was rejected by the Synod at the time, and congregational members decided to splinter off and form a church that had no affiliation, thereby becoming a Frieden Church, or Free Church.
It served that role until June 2000, when it moved to its new location in Amherst, New York
Amherst, New York
Amherst is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 122,366. This represents an increase of 5.0% from the 2000 census. The town is named for Jeffrey Amherst, a British Army officer of the colonial period...
. In January 2001, the building was then purchased by Starry Night Theatre, Inc., and the name was changed to The Ghostlight Theatre.
Current events
The building currently seats 214 people, and runs its shows throughout the year. Each season includes a fall thriller, a holiday classic, a winter drama, a spring comedy and a summer musical. Past shows include A Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
, by Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
, and Little Women
Little Women
Little Women is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott . The book was written and set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts. It was published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869...
.
The Starry Night Theatre group is run by L. Don Swartz, who writes many of the plays that are performed at the Ghostlight Theatre, such as All Through the Night, The Birds That Stay, and A Night of Dark Intent.
The building has also had some reports of paranormal activity, with at least four paranormal investigation groups, such as Western New York Paranormal, Erie County Paranormal Association, Soul Seekers United and Buffalo Paranormal Society.
Many of these groups have purportedly experienced ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
sightings, recorded instances of Electronic Voice Phenomena, among other experiences.
See also
- Riviera Theatre (North Tonawanda, New York)
- Shea's Performing Arts CenterShea's Performing Arts CenterShea's Performing Arts Center is a theater for touring Broadway musicals and special events in Buffalo, New York. Originally called Shea's Buffalo, it was opened in 1926 to show silent movies. It took one year to build the entire theatre...
- North Park TheatreNorth Park TheatreThe North Park Theatre is a historical single screen movie theatre in Buffalo, New York. It has functioned as a cinema since it opened in 1920....