As audiences walk into Longstreet Theatre, a single light glows: the ghost light. A tradition in nearly every theatre, the light is meant to keep ghosts company or to simply keep watch. In USC’s new original play, "The Seeing Place," that glow could mark something much more unsettling.
"The Seeing Place" is set in a fictionalized future where the Longstreet Theatre has been abandoned. It follows a group of students who break into the dark space and stage a play, only to find themselves not-so-alone in the dark.
According to Department of Theatre and Dance Marketing Director Kevin Bush, the play is inspired by the chilling reputation of the Longstreet Theatre and features a cast of 16 undergraduate students at USC.
The Longstreet Theatre building, constructed in 1855 , carries a history that contributes to its "haunted reputation". Originally part of the university’s infrastructure, the building would eventually serve a grim purpose during the Civil War when USC closed.
The building was repurposed as a hospital during the war. The lower level beneath the Longstreet Theatre's steps was once used as a morgue.
Kevin Bush praised USC’s theatre program's costume, lighting, scenic and sound design that he said he believes matches the quality of professional theaters. Bush also emphasized the uniqueness of Longstreet Theatre itself, which is inspired by Greek amphitheaters.
“We’re the only theatre like ours in South Carolina. We're one of the very few arena theaters on a college campus … Every seat feels intimate. You hear everything you see everything, even though there are 250 people around you ... you really don’t feel like you’re ever away from the show,” Bush said.
Marybeth Gorman Craig is a member of the teaching faculty for the Department of Theatre and Dance. She teaches a variety of acting classes and is a professional actor. For "The Seeing Place," Craig is a co-director alongside playwright and director Lauren Wilson. Craig said that having another director can bring another perspective to the show.
Craig talked about the premise of the show, a fictionalized version of Longstreet Theatre in the future, one that has been boarded up for a decade. The students wanting to perform have no resources but are determined to put on a show they believe matters.
“We all sit in a theater together with strangers, and we watch a story and we feel the feelings of all of the people on the stage that we wouldn’t have ever met before, Craig said. "We can connect to the bigger purpose of things, that there are people (that) have gone before us, there are people that will come after us ... Why not spend our time doing something that is really important to us? ... There is something very magical and mystical about that exchange between (the) play, and the playmakers and the audience.”
Playwright, director and faculty member Lauren Wilson wrote "The Seeing Place" with USC students in mind. Wilson said she crafted a story is not only suspenseful but grounded in humor.
Wilson said she wrote about the challenges of being a theater student, especially in the face of budget cuts. The characters in the play take over an abandoned theater and put on a show without permission. Wilson said students might be surprised by the resonance they have with the characters.
“They’ll be surprised with how these actors are really embodying people that feel like contemporary USC students. They really feel like they could have walked off the campus and onto the stage,” Wilson said
"The Seeing Place" tells a story rooted in haunted rumors, set in the building where they were born. Whether the Longstreet Theatre lives up to its eerie reputation remains up to the audience.
“I think the play brings reminders of what the history of the building is,” Craig said.
"The Seeing Place" will run from Sept. 26 through Oct. 5, in the Longstreet Theatre. The play will run at 7:30 p.m. nightly from Wednesday to Saturday. Additional matinee performances will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 28 and Sunday, Oct. 5. Tickets are available online for purchase at sc.universitytickets.com.