written & directed by Steve Schroer except as stipulated
1 = mostly funny, maybe a little scary/creepy
2 = scary/creepy, not funny
3 = somewhere in between
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produced in 2010 at the Bryant-Lake Bowl
cast: 5M, 1F
preview in Southwest Journal
“An all-ages warm-up for the holiday, promising chills without gore and some dark laughs.”
“The Beast with Five Fingers” 3
one-act based on the 1919 story* by W.F. Harvey
A man is haunted by a severed human hand.
“The Dunwich Horror” 2
one-act based on the 1928 story* by H.P. Lovecraft
Something unspeakable is trying to enter our universe.
“Lukundoo”† 2
one-act based on the 1907 story* by Edward Lucas White
An African witch doctor casts a gruesome spell on an American explorer.
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produced in 2002 & 2003 at the Playwrights’ Center
cast: 4M, 2F
“The Broken-Hearted Ghost” 1
one-act suggested by a brief episode* in the 1891 collection Told After Supper by Jerome K. Jerome
This ghost doesn’t go “Boo,” it goes “Boo-hoo.”
“The Curse of the Red Chamber” 1
one-act based on the 1882 story* “The Curse of the Catafalques” by F. Anstey
A fortune hunter gets more than he bargained for when he marries a rich heiress.
“The Hauntings at Grantley Grange” 1
one-act based on the 1878 story* “The Ghosts at Grantley” by Leonard Kip
A romantic comedy with ghosts. Witty, charming.
“The Water Ghost of Harrowby Hall” 1
one-act based on the 1894 story* by John Kendrick Bangs
With each manifestation, she brings a flood of freezing seawater.
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produced in 2012 & 2013 at the Bryant-Lake Bowl
cast: 4M, 1F
“The Black Poodle” 1
one-act based on the 1884 story* by F. Anstey
Can a dog come back from the grave?
“The Inexperienced Ghost” 1
one-act based on the 1902 story* by H.G. Wells
Scaring people takes practice.
“Mr Tilly’s Séance” 1
one-act based on the 1922 story* by E.F. Benson
An English gentleman does not allow sudden death to alter his plans.
“Teig O’Kane and the Corpse” 1
one-act based on the Irish folktale*
A wild young fellow finds it difficult to bury a talkative body.
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produced in 2005, 2006, & 2007 at the Bryant-Lake Bowl
cast: 3M, 2F
“Authentic Narrative of the Ghost of a Hand” 2
one-act (enhanced readers theater) based on the 1863 story* by J.S. LeFanu
Like “The Beast with Five Fingers” but played straight. Chilling.
“The Bagman’s Uncle” 1
one-act (enhanced readers theater) based on the 1836 story* included in The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
One of CD’s many Christmas ghost stories. Swashbuckling action.
“The Cold Embrace” 2
one-act (enhanced readers theater) based on the 1860 story* by Mary E. Braddon
Even suicide could not extinguish her love.
“The Dead Girl” 2
one-act (enhanced readers theater) based on the 1889 story* by Guy de Maupassant”
The dead have risen, and God help us, they’re telling the truth.
“How Fear Departed from the Long Gallery” 3
one-act (enhanced readers theater) based on the 1911 story* by E.F. Benson
EFB’s favorite story of his own work. Also Steve Schroer’s favorite ghost story, period.
“Thurnley Abbey” 2
one-act (enhanced readers theater) based on the 1908 story* by Perceval Landon
Who says violence never solved anything?
“The Upper Berth” 2
one-act (enhanced readers theater) based on the 1886 story* by F. Marion Crawford
His room-mate on the ship was not exactly alive.
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see also:
“The Canterville Ghost” 1
* never before, to the best of our knowledge, adapted for the stage
† written but not directed by Steve Schroer