Theatrical troupe summons the supernatural while staging Macbeth at a New England resort.
At first a modest, easygoing comedy about actors and their superstitions, Ghost Light gradually, unexpectedly slides into darkness. First mocking the pretensions of New England summer-theater players, and then sympathizing with their fears, the movie finds a balance between camp and earnestness.
Like its performers, Ghost World aims at a niche market, one that feels superior to mainstream, commercial plays and movies, but can still take a joke. The movie begins at a rundown New Hampshire resort far removed from Tamworth’s Barnstormers Theatre, let alone the Williamstown Summer Festival.
In fact, the “Shakespeare on Wheels” troupe seems to have arrived at the Riverside Lodge by mistake. No one is there to greet them, and the theater inside a barn looks long-abandoned.
Exploring the theater gives director and co-writer (with producer Geoffrey Taylor) John Stimpson the opportunity to introduce several time-worn stage superstitions. How “Macbeth” is cursed, for example, or why you should never let the “ghost light” on the stage go out. And no whistling.
Henry (Roger Bart), the director, has his hands full. Alex (Cary Elwes), his star, has been a fixture on a soap opera for years, where he developed sensationally poor acting skills while losing the ability to remember lines. His wife Liz (Shannyn Sossamon) not only drinks too much, but is having an indiscreet affair with Thomas (Tom Riley), a British actor with a high opinion of his talent. Troy (Sheldon Best) and Nigel (Alex Portenko) have just broken up, Annabel (Caroline Portu) and Jason (Nolan Gerard Funk) can’t keep their hands off each other, and flitting around the periphery are Madeline (the always delightful Carol Kane) and Eliot (Steve Tom), elderly performers given to reminiscing.
Stimpson draws his characters with broad but affectionate strokes, letting veterans like Kane play around with their performances. Elwes, star of the beloved Princess Bride as well as Saw, might have benefited from stronger direction. His Alex is a caricature of a bad actor, all broad gestures and grandiose intonations.
The opening scenes are staged broadly as well. Characters grimace at each other behind their backs, or make catty comments under their breath. On some levels the movie feels as weak and insular as the characters it’s teasing.
Then Stimpson starts introducing supernatural elements, most of them achieved through practical effects that work pretty well. The script won’t say whether the characters are hallucinating, or experiencing actual hauntings. Either way, the shocks reflect their own psychological problems, and their relationships to the roles they are playing on stage.
Sossamon is especially good at showing Liz’s gradual deterioration into something like madness. Like Lady Macbeth, she obsesses over perceived slights, over her lover’s unwillingness to step into the part she has seen for him. Playing a hitchhiker who shows up halfway through, Danielle Campbell also turns in a strong performance.
While ambitious, Ghost Light suffers from an underdeveloped script and obviously small budget. What makes it worthwhile is its insight into characters, who against the odds build up real sympathy.
