GHOSTLIGHT

So busy of late. Little Shop of Horrors at the JCC, Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters at Littleton Town Hall, A Midsummer Night's Dream at DAT, Sweet Charity at StageDoor- I work on a lot of shows. So what do I do next? Film a horror film as part of a class at Reel Kids. The movie is called Ghostlight, and it's a thriller centered around a high school theatre department. It's the kind of movie  Joss Whedon should direct, in my humble opinion. I've had a couple of different classes read the script together, and the feedback has been amazing- you can tell when people genuinely like something. Anyway, I want to share some of the script with you- so here a bit of the opening:

INT. BLACKFORD HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE - NIGHT

The theatre is empty, the only light a lamp in the middle of the stage. FOOTSTEPS AND WHISPERED VOICES approach. A KEY TURNS IN A LOCK. A DOOR CREAKS open. At the doorway is a group of high school kids, ready to party. MILTON, freshman drama geek, nervously points a flashlight into the theatre. RAY, the school rebel, pushes past Milton into the theatre, twelve pack of beer in his hand.

RAY 

          Lock and load!

He tosses a beer to NOEL, the class clown.

NOEL

          My ninja!

The group walks in. Ray tosses a beer to MAGGIE, Milton’s smart and sexy older sister.

MILTON

Maggie!

Maggie wags a finger at Milton.

MAGGIE 

          Milton- don’t make me regret letting you and 

          your nerdy friends come to the party.

IAN AND TONY, Milton’s nerdy friends, look at each other.

IAN

          Nerdy?

TONY 

          Clearly she meant you.

Noel grabs Milton’s flashlight, shines it on himself, and starts making faces. GROANS, LAUGHTER, “Loser!” ETC.

NOEL

          I am the ghost of Bloody Bones!

He HOWLS like a wolf. TRINA, MARNA and CECILY, three of the older girls, giggle.

NOEL (CONT’D)

          I am the ghost of Bloody Bones, and I am 

          walking into the theatre!

Noel freezes in terror. He points over Rays shoulder.

NOEL

          Ray- look out!

Marna and Cecily SCREAM. Trina LAUGHS. Ray doesn't flinch.

RAY

          Hilarious.

Unseen in the audience, LENNY- the school janitor who has been sleeping behind some chairs- sits up.

LENNY

          Morons.

Lenny takes the last swig from a BOTTLE OF WHISKEY, lays back down, and almost immediately passes out.

MILTON

          Actually, Bloody Bones is an old
          Scottish legend. He was flayed alive, and 
          roams the highlands seeking new skin.

Everyone stares at Milton. Maggie hangs her head, embarrassed. DANA, sophomore drama geek, looks scared.

DANA 

          N-N- New skin?

MILTON

          You could tell his victims from
          the lack thereof.

DANA 

          Lack there of?

MILTON

          He'd peel them. Like grapes.

NOEL

          Sweet!

Milton notices everyone is listening, smiles sheepishly.

RAY

          Nobody’s interested in a lecture
          on Captain Bloody Butt-

MILTON 

          Bloody Bones.

RAY

          What?

MILTON

          His name- it’s Bloody Bones.

RAY

          Whatever- look, you got us in here-
          now shut the fuck up.

Milton looks down, hurt. Maggie glares at Ray.

MAGGIE

          Milton, why don't you turn some
          lights on?

Milton sullenly runs towards the light room.

NOEL 

          Lack thereof.

Marna giggles. Noel smiles at her. Ray notices this.

RAY

          What we need is some atmosphere.

Ray steps to lamp, reaches for the switch.

MILTON

          Don’t turn off the ghost light!

Ray stops, turns to Milton.

RAY

          The what?

MILTON

          A theatre in the dark is a
          dangerous place. As president of the drama club, 
          I strenuously object.

Trina howls with laughter. Ray winks at Maggie.

RAY

          Danger's my middle name, baby.

MILTON

          Be that as it may, you don't turn
          the ghostlight off-

NOEL

          Why’s it called the ghost light?

MILTON 

          Theatres are haunted- full of ghosts from the 
          stories we tell: the fall of kings and queens, 
          star crossed lovers, things that go bump in the night-

RAY

          I got something that goes bump in the night.

Noel and several others shush Ray.

MILTON

          This is sacred ground...can’t you feel it?

RAY

          No.

MILTON

          You're clearly not a thespian.

RAY

          Clearly.

MILTON

          Every theatre has a ghostlight, to keep 
          the spirits out.

Trina takes a step towards Milton, fascinated.

TRINA 

          What do they want?

EMMY, a cute freshmen, steps forward.

EMMY

          Yeah, what do they want, Milton?

MILTON

          Oh, uh...some think it's the ghosts of actors, 
          not ready for their final exit-

Trina looks Milton in the eyes and smiles. Milton blushes, not sure what to do.

RAY

          Oh no!

Ray turns off the ghost light, plunging the theatre into DARKNESS. Milton SCREAMS. Everyone LAUGHS.

RAY 

          Come and get us, Bloody Bone!

Noel points flashlight into Milton’s face.

NOEL

          It’s Bloody Bones! He’s gonna peel me!

Milton runs to the ghostlight, turns it back on.

MILTON

          Seriously! What's next? Whistling backstage? 
          Quoting the Scottish play?

NOEL 

          You mean Brigadoon?

Ray looks incredulously at Noel.

NOEL 

          What? It’s a good movie.

MILTON

          You’re not respecting the theatre!

RAY 

          Alright, Duck- calm down.

MILTON

          A theatre is a temple! A TEMPLE!

An awkward moment. Milton is practically hyperventilating.

MAGGIE

          Milton, you’re embarrassing me.

Milton tries to compose himself.

MILTON 

          I’ll get those lights.

Milton walks to the LIGHT ROOM DOOR. A FLOORBOARD CREAKS.

MAGGIE 

          What was that?

NOEL 

          Maybe it’s Bloody Bones!

Milton unlocks the door.

MILTON

          I told you, he’s in Scotland.

Milton opens the door. It’s very dark inside, and the light switch is at the far end.

MILTON 

          Uh, Maggie, could you help me?

NOEL 

          What’s with Duck?

Maggie elbows Noel in the ribs.

MAGGIE

          He doesn’t like the dark, asshole.

Noel smiles, looks to Ray.

NOEL 

          Really?

Noel and Ray run to Milton, push him in the light room, and close the door, holding it shut. Milton screams from inside. Noel and Ray howl with laughter.

MAGGIE

          Not funny!

Some of the kids laugh. Milton continues to scream.

MILTON

          Let me out!

Maggie runs and pulls Ray away from the door.

MAGGIE

          Ray! Stop being such an asshole.

RAY 

          Lighten up!

MAGGIE

          I don’t like how you’re treating
          my little brother.

RAY 

          How do you like this?

Ray swats Maggie on the ass.

MAGGIE

          Stop it!

Maggie SLAPS Ray. 

An uncomfortable silence, except for Milton’s pounding on the door.

RAY 

          Well fuck you too!

Ray throws the ghostlight to the floor, SHATTERING the bulb, plunging the theatre into DARKNESS. 

A moment of silence, then ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE. Floorboards CREAK. Stage LIGHTS turn on, and BURST, showering SPARKS on the floor. Milton furiously POUNDS on the door.

Trina sees something, SCREAMS.

Abruptly, everything goes QUIET. Everyone looks a little shell shocked. Maggie goes to the back wall and turns on the overhead lights. Noel is still standing in front of the prop room door.

NOEL 

          What the fuck was that? 




So that's some of Ghostlight. If you are over 13, and interested in working on this, click HERE.