The definition of a ghost light?
It’s a safety precaution in theaters, often a single bulb, left on after hours, so unsuspecting staff won’t cross the darkened stage and trip over a prop or fall into an orchestra pit.
There’s also a longstanding myth about why it’s called a “ghost” light — some believe the dim illumination invites spirits to return to the stage for post-mortem performances.
That’s what inspired Carly Topazio, artistic director of the provocative contemporary ballet company known as The Rosin Box Project, to bring that legend to life in the production of Ghost Light Masquerade.
The show will be staged for five evenings next week in the ballroom of the Horton Grand Hotel in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter.
The all-ages show is spooky, rather than scary. But those who are under age 18 need to be accompanied by an adult. Audience will be offered a mask when they enter, or they can bring their own.
Topazio said the show is interactive and guests can “choose their own adventure.”
“There are several stages that are ground level and guests are encouraged to wander and explore as the show goes on,” she explained. “There are a lot of elements where they can interact and really become a part of the show. We don’t have set seating, but there are limited seats for those who are mobility impaired.”
The Rosin Box Project’s eight, classically trained dancers perform to haunting, ethereal music and take on the personae of pirouetting wraiths, who circle, surprise and even stalk of the audience.
“There’s a lot of mischief,” Topazio said.
“The idea is that all the dancers are ghosts, spirits of performers past. They come back, cause a ruckus and dance. The costumes are disassembled Victorian undergarments, like petticoats and pantaloons.”
Due to the pandemic, the inaugural Ghost Light Masquerade was a virtual production in 2020. It was filmed at Tenth Avenue Arts Center, a venue reputed to have paranormal events of its own.
At rehearsal, dancers heard footsteps on the stairs, but no one else was in the building, even after one of the male dancers volunteered to check.
“We were filming late at night,” Topazio recalled. “The center has several floors and we heard someone. We all got spooked.”
But that experience didn’t scare the company away from producing Ghost Light Masquerade at Liberty Station in 2021 and at Bread & Salt in Logan Heights in 2022.
It was a way to introduce contemporary ballet to non-dance fans by linking it to a popular holiday, much like “The Nutcracker.” And it has grown in popularity since its inception.
“In my opinion, the city doesn’t need another Nutcracker,” Topazio said. “We wanted to do things differently and venture into areas that haven’t been explored. So, we took the ghost light idea and ran with it during Halloween. It’s so much fun and it lends itself to our profession because it’s about dres and taking on a different persona or character.”
The historic Horton Grand Hotel, a new venue for Ghost Light Masquerade, also has a reputation for being haunted. Over the years, strange occurrences have been reported.
On a travel site, “Elise” from Los Angeles wrote that during her stay, she saw the slowly disappearing face of a boy reflected in a window. And legend has it that, in room 309, a cheating gambler hiding in an armoire was shot to death and regularly returns as a ghost.
Whether it was the scares or the sweets (“I love sour watermelon candy!”), Topazio enjoyed Halloween as a child and shared that her family went “all out.”
She and her two brothers wore costumes handmade by their mom. Topazio ed being a Pink Power Ranger one year and once, she was the back end of a cow. One of the earliest costumes her mom made was that of a little ballerina.
“Mom knew,” Topazio mused. “Funny, because I didn’t start ballet seriously until I was in my early teens. It was a premonition that ballet would take my heart.”
The Rosin Box Project presents Ghost Light Masquerade
When: 7 p.m. Oct. 25 and 26; 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27-28; 7 p.m. Oct. 29
Where: Horton Grand Hotel, 311 Island Ave., downtown
Tickets: $65.87 (Ages 17 and under must be accompanied by a ticketed adult)
Online: therosinboxproject.com
Luttrell is a freelance writer.
