The GhostLight Theatre’s 2026 Season begins with Thornton Wilder’s Classic American Play “OUR TOWN” April 16th - May 2nd – directed by Ashley Coia

The GhostLight Theatre’s first theatrical offering of its 2026 Theatre Season will be Thornton Wilder’s timeless classic “OUR TOWN” opening on Thursday, April 16^th and running through Sunday, April 26^th at the theatre’s black box home in the Arts District of Benton Harbor. The production will also travel for two additional nights over a third weekend to the Acorn Theatre (Three Oaks, MI) on May 1^st and 2^nd.
 
Directed by Ashley Coia, with assistant direction by Paige Mulick, set design by Andy Sawyer, costume design by Megan Myers, lighting design by Collin Wagner and Hannah Cowgill, & Mariah Keener as Sound Designer, Our Town is set in the fictional small town of Grover’s Corners, and follows the everyday lives of its citizens between 1901 and 1913, revealing the beauty and fragility of ordinary moments.

Wilder strips the stage to its essentials, asking actors to mime most actions without props and inviting the audience to imagine the world being created. At the center of the play is the simple and beautiful love story of George Gibbs and Emily Webb, which becomes a lens through which timeless questions of love, life, and death are explored. Guiding the audience through this journey is the character of the Stage Manager, who speaks directly to the audience, introduces guest lecturers, fields questions, and even step into the action, reminding us that we are both witnesses to and participants in this shared human story.

The cast of Our Town includes Pete Thomasson as Stage Manager, Haley Flo Crowley as Emily Webb, Giovanni Wubbena as George Gibbs, Carol Sizer as Mrs. Webb, Bill Klein as Mr. Webb, Michael Bond as Dr. Gibbs, Rebecca Maxey as Mrs. Gibbs, Travis Braxton Paul as Simon Stimson, Kristen Wielenga as Mrs. Soames, Bud Shuler as Professor Willard, Jim Gehring as Constable Warren, Wally Moguel as Wally Webb, Amelia Lifferth as Rebecca Webb, Connie Glanzer as Martha, Levi Troge as Howie Newsome, Andre Palmer III as Si Crowell, Martel Burton as Joe Crowell, and Jorin Tabbert/Garrett Medukas-Wolf as Sam Craig. Stage management team is led by Michelle Miller with assistance by Kyle McAndrew, and Einra Baker and consulting with Anastasia Field.

“Working at The Ghostlight Theatre in Benton Harbor has been a joy,” says director Ashley Coia, “The creativity of the artists at The Ghostlight encourage me to enrich my commitment to building theatre rooted in community and collaboration. In directing Our Town, I am drawn to the play’s invitation to uncover the beauty in the ordinary moments of daily life. In this production, we lean into an immersive celebration of ancestry and the enduring power of a love that transcends even death itself. We can’t wait to welcome our audience to lean in and celebrate the everlasting joys of love and community.”

Attendees will also be asked to share a wish, hope or a dream for Our Town (Benton Harbor), for future generations to witness. These words will then be compiled and sealed into a time capsule at the end of the run of the production to be discovered years from now.

General Manager/Artistic Director Paul Mow adds: “We are certain that GhostLight’s seventh season will provide a vast amount of story-telling education and didactic experiences for our audiences and performers alike. We simply cannot wait to share these stories with our SW Michigan audiences, as real-life connection and shared fellowship becomes more and more important every day.”

**On Sunday, April 19^th at 5:30pm a very special historical post-show talkback discussion will be held .The talk will be led by Chuck Jager (Morton House Museum) along with long time area residents Ken Ankli and Mamie Yarbrough along with the cast and crew.

Doors will open at 7:00 on weeknights and 2:30 pm on Sundays. A cash bar with wine and beer will be available on Friday and Saturday evenings.  General admission theatre Tickets range from $20-$32 and 2-person VIP tables are also available in limited quantity for $85 total.

Tickets can be purchased at https://www.ghostlightbh.com/currentseason

Tickets for the May 1&2  production of OUR TOWN at the Acorn can be purchased via their website at https://www.acornlive.org
 
Season Sponsors include Timothy’s Restaurant, Chicago Records Management, and On Base Productions, Forte Coffee & Bread+Bar. Show Sponsors for Our Town include Scott Berry Promotions, Silver Beach Pizza, Emma Hearth and Market, Reflections Salon & Med Spa, and Mead & White Electrical

In addition to OUR TOWN, The GhostLight Theatre mainstage season will consist of six (6) additional 2026 mainstage productions: 
 
• Next To Normal – the musical – directed by Paul Mow -  June 11-28
• The Musical Comedy Murders of the 1940s  – a play directed by Jodie Wilson -  July 16-19
• Little Shop of Horros – the musical – directed by Lari Lawrence-Gist -  August 13-30
• What The Constitution Means to Me– a co-production play with the University of Notre Dame– directed by Matthew Hawkins -  September 18-27
• One Party Consent – a **2026 Jeff Award winning play by Omer Abbas Salem – directed by Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble member Caroline Neff - October 15-25
• Avenue Q – the musical by Jeff Marx & Bobby Lopez– directed by Paige Mulick- December 3-13
 
Show Sponsorship information is available at: https://www.ghostlightbh.com/support