Summerland runs March 26 – April 11 at The Pond Playhouse
Director: Bill VanGorder | Stage Manager: Esther VanGorder | Producer: Geraldine McDonald
Cast
Jesse Robb as William Mumler
Lise Renault as Mrs. Mumler
|Dom MacKinnon as Joseph Tooker
About Summerland
Summerland tells the haunting story of William H. Mumler, a 19th-century spirit photographer whose images claimed to reveal the faces of the dead.
Step into William H. Mumler’s mysterious New York photography studio, circa 1869, a place where the living and the dead share the same frame. Watch, spellbound, as the play unfolds during a time when belief in contact with the dead swept through parlours and seances across the nation.
Mumler claims to capture what others only dream of seeing: the ghostly return of departed loved ones, shimmering through the photographic glass. His “spirit portraits” electrify believers and anger skeptics, until one powerful man (the steely Chief Marshal Joseph Tooker) sets out to expose him as a charlatan.
Joseph Tooker investigates Mumler’s shady past and his process for suspected fraud, uncovering much more than he bargained for in his search for truth. When the inspector’s own photographic sitting takes an unexpected turn, truth and illusion come into question and the line between skepticism and belief blurs. This challenges both men’s convictions about what lies beyond the veil.
Summerland is about the collision between the two men’s opposing beliefs about the afterlife. Is it a hoax or is it real? Finding the answer to either question threatens to destroy them both. Which one prevails?
What is “Summerland”?
The play’s title refers to a tenet of the mid-19th century Spiritualist movement. It held that there were multiple levels of the afterlife. For the pure of heart, the first stop after death would be a paradise-like realm called Summerland. At the heart of the story, does summerland really exist? See the show and decide for yourself!
10 Chilling Performances!
Summerland runs from Thursday March 26 through Saturday April 11, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm with one 2pm matinee on Saturday, April 11. Enjoy historically accurate period costumes and eerie, mood-setting lighting and sound!
Tickets: Regular: $20, Seniors/Students: $18, TAG Members: $15. No additional charges or processing fees! Recommended for ages 14+.
If you are experiencing ticket issues, please email Ticket Help. One of our volunteers will be in touch ASAP.