The Ghost Says "Boo"
A Lawson Family Christmas
Words by Julia Gytri
Music by Yan Li
Germanton, North Carolina. Christmas Day. 1929. Charles Lawson, his wife Fannie, and their 7 kids took their one and only family photograph. The town has been abuzz with talk of what goes on at the Lawson farm. Their animals have also been on edge. The Lawson Dog. The Lawson Cat. The Lawson Heifer. The Lawson Birds. The Lawson Steed. Each will have a role to play in the unfolding horror of the Lawson Family Christmas.
1 act (100 minutes), cast of 12 with a buttload of puppets
Actors play dual roles as townspeople and farm animals
Based on true events (i.e. farm animals are true)
Adapted from "The Ghost Says Boo" by Julia Gytri
In the throes of the pandemic, Julia and I stove off madness by diving into madness. What better time to figure out how a cat sings different from a horse? The piece circles Christmas evening, with scenes jumping back and forth in time around the main event, sometimes the morning before, sometimes the hours after. Beneath the holiday gloss is a story about the crushing frustrations of poverty and the class divide. All of this is dialed up to 11 because Santa is coming to town. Good thing it wasn't Earth Day.
But What Does It Sound Like?​
Half of it is money you didn't know you had. The other half is a peek at the waterpark as you're driving down the highway to Wegman's.
Songs
Lily Haney, the prettiest girl in town, runs into Artie Lawson at the General Store. She casually drops some hot dish she heard about Artie's sister Marie and her not-so-subtle bump.
feat. Joanna Carpenter and Sam Simahk
Artie Lawson sets out for town after standing up to his father Charlie for perhaps the first time.
feat. Sam Simahk
The Lawsons' Steed bids a final farewell to his love Harriet after she is shot by the family patriarch.
feat. John Haggerty
Mr. and Mrs. Bird attempt to cheer up Steed Lawson with their optimistic and unsolicited opinions.
feat. Ally Bonino and Sam Simahk