Arizona Legends Come To Life At Prescott Ghost Talk 10/23

The Prescott Fine Arts Association (PFAA) and the West Yavapai Guidance Clinic (WYGC) are partnering once again to present the annual Prescott Ghost Talk, where Arizona legends come alive during an evening of historic ghostly folklore as told by the goblins, ghosts, spirits, and apparitions themselves, on Oct. 23. Shows are at 6 PM, 7 P.M., and 8 P.M. at the PFAA Theatre on the corner of Marina and Willis in downtown Prescott.

What better place to host an evening of spooky, eerie, fun, and informative entertainment about the area's famous and infamous specters than the PFAA Theatre. This historic building was once home to the "Old" Sacred Heart Church and is considered by many to be one of the best examples of 19th-century religious architecture in the state. The PFAA Theatre's exterior was designed in the "Sober Gothic Style," using pointed arches and decorative brickwork and local rough-cut stone. Inside this local landmark, a dedicated group of volunteers use their theatrical skills and talents to transform the time-honored ghostly tales into dramatic vignettes as the spirits "come to life" through special effects, lighting, sets, props, costumes, and make-up. The "Old" Sacred Heart building was in use as a church between 1894-1969 and has been a active theatre since 1969 to the present.

Ghost Talk has featured a variety of ghost stories through the years about well-known poltergeists with Prescott connections such as Tom Mix, Bucky O'Neill, and Joseph Reddeford Walker as well as infamous local spirits such as Abby Byr, the Hotel Vendome Apparition, and Professor Stanislaus, the Phantom of the Elks Opera House.

According to Ghost Talk Director Karen Murphy, "Each year, the stories are mixed and matched with something new and different so even folks who become Ghost Talk regulars will find a completely innovative show. A few samplings from among this year's line-up that will feature 11 total ghost stories are the Iron King Mine Monster, the Dynamite Demon of Whiskey Row, the Skin Walkers of Prescott Forest, the Prescott Pioneer's Home Poltergeist, and the PFAA's very own Gothic Ghosts, up to three at last count -- Father Alfred, Father Edmund, and Sister Sophie."

She explains, "Patrons will be greeted with spectral entertainment in the PFAA Courtyard, and then ushered into the theatre's crypt for the presentation of the haunting tales. The Prescott Regulators and Shady Ladies will be on hand to keep the crowds in line and out of trouble. Ghost Talk is not recommended for children under seven years of age, and definitely no whiners, scaredy-cats, pantywaists, or yellow-bellied cry babies are allowed."

For information and tickets, call 445-3286 or go online at WWW.pfaa.net or WWW.wygc.org and click on Ghost Talk. All proceeds from the annual fund-raiser go toward youth programs at the two nonprofits.

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