A Continuing Article by, Sabrinak.Geo

No one for sure knows when the tale started of the beautiful actress threw herself from the bell tower at the historic Opera House.  It’s been documented as local lore since the turn of the century, yet there is no evidence in county records or newspapers of any death resembling the many variations of the tale, at the opera house at that time.  This ghost tale gained some renewed recognition in 1923 when a group of drama students from Todd School for boys were rehearsing at the opera house for their spring festival; this was when the ghost was claimed to be scene by a group of 3 boys, including a young Orson Wells.  Some say the tale stops here, just another story wells made up early on to scare his fellow classmates.

 

The ghost finally gained her current name in 1947 when now famous stand-up comedian Shelley Berman worked with the Woodstock Players for two seasons in 1947-1948.  It was during a tech week rehearsal, late at night when Berman was rehearsing his scene and suddenly a row of 3 seats in the Balcony flattened down as is someone were sitting in them.  A short time later, the seats went back up as if the occupants had left.  Berman also reported the feeling of being watch by an unseen presence, and thought perhaps she brought a few friends along. 

 

Over 20 years later, with no previous knowledge of Berman's story, Irene Hughes was invited to host a Creative Living Series lecture at the opera house to discuss Psychic methodologies.  She spent several hours lecturing to a capacity audience at the Opera House that morning in October of 1970.  She began to see more than her ticket paying audience, she also saw a house full of ghosts.

 

“There was a lot of activity in the place,” she said.  “There were lots of actors and actresses standing around in the balcony looking on and that sort of thing.  They were all over.”

 

She didn’t have time to stop and converse with the various ghosts.  She was there to speak to the living, not the disembodied dead.

 

“The place was packed to the rafters”, said the Chicago Psychic. “Of course it’s always packed whenever I show up.  When you have a huge audience like that you can’t stop what you are doing to go ghost hunting up in the balcony.  The people who paid to be there to speak learn and speak with me just wouldn’t understand.” 

 

She knows she saw ghosts.  There were three shadows who appeared to be more important then the rest.  One was a fat man dressed in turn-of-the-century mourning clothes.  He was seated on a riser facing Hughes as she spoke to her unsuspecting audience Oct. 15^th 1970.  She, apparently, was the only person that day who saw ghosts.

 

“He was a big fat man who appeared to be the master of ceremonies.” said Hughes.  “I felt like he was seated on something that was high, like a little stage out in front of me.  He was tall and heavy, wearing dark pants.”

 

That ghost was nothing compared to the femme fatale in the balcony. And her presumed lover.

“I was looking at all those ghosts up there in the balcony and those beautiful people dressed in beautiful clothes, and it seemed like there was a woman up there to the left in a long dress. She has a wide brimmed hat on that was off to one side a little bit.  The man was dressed in black clothing trimmed in brown.  He wore a top hat. It seemed like he was a banker or at least someone very wealthy.” Hughes said.

 

The two apparitions stood around and did their thing while Hughes nonchalantly lectured to her audience on astrology, psychology, parapsychology, extra sensory perception and life after death.  The light haired soprano sang a melody familiar to Hughes but it was a tune she couldn’t pinpoint. “It was more like a love song,” said Hughes.  Perhaps it was one of the popular dance hall ballads of the late 19^th century.  Such as “After the Ball,” “Come Down My Evening Star,” “Love’s Old Sweet Song,” or “Will You Love Me In December As You Do in May.”

 

“The man was standing right in front of her, looking up at her sing,” said Hughes. “It was very animated and Romantic.” She continued.  “She was very happy, but it seemed like she may have gone through a deep love disappointment.”

 

This account is truly astounding, if it is indeed true…