Theatre “Ghost Light” Superstitions

A bare bulb atop a rudimentary pole, it stands at center stage, lit by the last person to leave the theatre each night and extinguished by the first person to arrive in the morning. Though stark in statue and artless in form, the ghost light fulfills many functions…some practical, some supernatural.”  --Jim Dougherty

No one knows for sure the origin of "ghost lights," but they have been used in theatres for centuries. A ghost light is a light that is left on in an unoccupied theatre. Without this light, a theatre would be in complete darkness. 

The typical modern ghost light consists of an exposed incandescent light bulb, surrounded by a wire cage and mounted on a portable stand. This light is most often placed somewhere on center stage.

This dim glowing nightlight is left on in theatres for first and foremost a practical reason. A pitch dark stage is a dangerous place, hazards like falling into an orchestra pit and tripping on set pieces or props pose a real threat to theatre workers. But one strong belief competes with these practical reasons. 

A prevailing superstition is that most theatres are haunted and the ghost light is kept on to appease ghosts.

Before electricity was invented, theatre ghost lights were gas lamps. Each theatre had its own gas generator. Leaving a flame burning overnight was very important—this active flame would prevent pressure from building up in the lines, which could cause an explosion. 

Several hundred theatres in the 1800s burned down for this reason, so the invention of the electric light bulb was literally a godsend. 

With this history, a conviction arose that a ghost light should be left burning to keep theatre ghosts happy.

This superstition continued after the invention of electricity. One theatre myth states that leaving a ghost light on overnight is for protection. The belief is a dark stage creates "restless or resentful ghosts" who will then create havoc.

Another superstition or belief is that if a ghost light is not left on bad luck will befall whatever production is being performed. 

Not all theatre ghost superstitions cast ghosts in a negative light. It is often believed these theatre ghosts were former actors and that a ghost light allows these spirits to perform on stage, which keeps them happy. This reason is also why theatres close one day a week.

As mentioned above, one superstition that surrounds ghost lights is that a “dark” stage creates sadness or bad luck. 

It is believed a dark stage often denotes no show is running due to a lack of funding, or even worse because an unsuccessful production has closed down. Not wanting to upset any ghosts that might be around some theatre workers keep this light on. 

The ghost light's significant role is reflected in the fact theatrical companies located in Seattle, Oklahoma City, Iowa, Florida, and Pennsylvania are all named for it.

One recent story connected to a ghost light happened at the Magic Castle located in Hollywood, California. 

The Magic Castle is a member-only club for magicians. Situated in an older mansion, it has a variety of venues or stages where its members perform. The stage manager for the club states on at least five separate occasions when he has forgotten to leave the ghost light on—mischief occurred. 

During performances, both the stage lights and the sound systems malfunctioned.