GHoST Theatre Group Produces Wild West Comedy

The old west is coming to Geist May 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. The GHoST theatrical group of Geist Holy Spirit Catholic Church will have three performances of this hysterically funny old west play. Two of the performances, May 1st and 2nd, are dinner and show evenings.  Where else can you get dinner and live theater for only $25?  Not to mention, you won’t need to fight downtown Indy traffic and parking!

GHoST (Geist Holy Spirit Theater) has been performing for nine years now. The group that was formed by Tony and Terry Rossi, Tom and Elaine Schmidter, and Bill and Rosemary McCarel, has grown to include around 50 members. Most of the group are members of Holy Spirit, but that isn’t a requirement. All members of the group are amateurs. The band members also volunteer their time.

Through the years, GHoST has received professional assistance for choreography, technical details and keyboarding, but they remain a totally volunteer group. Tom Schimdter made it clear that “real” professionals are always welcome to join the group.

You might expect a church-affiliated group to do mainly religious or sacred plays. GHoST considered this option, but instead decided to have a variety of productions so they would appeal to the community at large. They also attract a larger pool of members because of the variety of roles.

The plays are all original productions. This saves money in that they don’t have to pay for the rights to use an existing script. More importantly though, they try to do shows with a local connection. The plays are sprinkled with local landmarks, characters (characters, around Geist, really?) and stories. The productions are light-hearted, comical and filled with music and dance. There’s no gloom and doom in their plays; happy endings are a must.

This year’s production, “The Tale of Billy Goat Saloon” is no different.  The tale is a western slapstick comedy with all the trimmings: cowboys, Indians, good guys, bad guys, and it all ends happily.

While laughing and enjoying the play, you will also be helping GHoST help people in need. Profits from the plays have gone to several charities in the past. Originally the monies were donated to Holy Spirit parish for equipment and supplies. More recently, the group has become an outreach ministry, donating to causes such as Katrina victims, Catholic Charities, Feed the Hungry, Providence Cristo Rey High School and many others.

The show will be staged at Holy Spirit at Geist’s Parish Life Center. Tickets will be available on April 19th & 26th in the Social Hall at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 12 noon.  You may also contact Tom Schmidter at 317-845-4055 to purchase tickets.

Dinner Shows are $25 per person (advanced-purchase only). Sunday Matinee is $10 per person, and tickets are available at  the door.