Masked audience members will roam freely through a haunted theater, choosing whether to be pulled into the performance or simply watch from the shadows, when Ghost Light Masquerade returns to San Diego for seven performances October 22-25 and October 28-30. The Rosin Box Project's annual Halloween production takes over The Nocturne Theatre at 3246 Imperial Ave., with no assigned seats and no barrier between dancers and the crowd.
The immersive show is described by its creators as part performance, part atmosphere, part invitation, according to The Rosin Box Project. It blends contemporary dance, theatrical storytelling, music, masks and immersive environments, as San Diego Magazine reports. As that outlet puts it, there are no assigned seats and no fourth wall, meaning ticket holders can move through the space and encounter performers up close.
Every guest must wear a mask, and the choice of color matters. Per the same account from the company, attendees select between two mask colors that signal whether they welcome interaction with the production's resident spirits or prefer to simply observe. The experience also means some separation is possible, since guests may be split up from the people they came with as the night unfolds.
Interactive Elements, Age Limits and Sensory Warnings
According to Elizabeth Ireland's reporting for the Times of San Diego, the production includes dancers pulling audience members onstage, leading a group court dance and initiating playful encounters throughout the night, with no two performances alike. The company notes that people under 16 are not permitted unless accompanied by a ticketed parent or legal guardian, and the show features strobe lights, haze and laser effects throughout the theater.
Tickets are available through The Rosin Box Project's website, and the production offers discounts to students, seniors, veterans and artists, per the Times of San Diego's reporting. The outlet also notes that Ghost Light Masquerade typically sells out, according to founder Carly Topazio.
From Virtual Pandemic Tour to Full Immersive Staging
Ghost Light Masquerade did not start out as a walk-through experience. The company was still building its footing at the time, having formed in the spring of 2018 and drawn four full houses during its inaugural weekend at The Geoffrey Off Broadway, the outlet reported. In summer 2019, the troupe expanded its program from three pieces to five at Liberty Station's White Box Live Arts, again selling out, per the same account. In 2020, pandemic restrictions prevented in-person audiences, so the company turned the production into a virtual experience filmed with a 360-degree camera, leading viewers on a cinematic tour through the empty corridors of The Tenth Avenue Arts Center, according to Dance Informa.
By 2024, the show had transformed into a live, interactive staging. The fifth Ghost Light Masquerade was more audience-interactive than ever, with a stage in the round so patrons could move in and around the performers, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported at the time. That run was staged at The Soap Factory on Commercial and 30th streets and included six performances through Halloween Eve. This year's run at The Nocturne Theatre marks another step in that evolution, with the Times of San Diego noting Ghost Light Masquerade was created as an annual Halloween production rather than another holiday staple like The Nutcracker.
The Superstition Behind the Show's Name
The production takes its name from an old theater tradition. A ghost light is a single lamp that theaters leave burning on a dark stage, which practically helps prevent people from stepping off the stage at night and, according to superstition, is believed to ward off spirits, per the Times of San Diego's reporting. Dancers rehearsing for the show have had their own unsettling encounters: the outlet reports that performers heard footsteps in a supposedly empty East Village building during a break, with one dancer saying he found no one there even as the footsteps continued up the stairs.
A Decade-Long Build for a Liberty Station Nonprofit
Topazio, who serves as The Rosin Box Project's artistic director and CEO, came to San Diego about 12 years before the show's run to dance with City Ballet, where she performed for roughly six years, according to the Times of San Diego. She founded the company in 2018, and it incorporated as a nonprofit in 2020 before settling into the arts district at Liberty Station. Topazio told the outlet that Ghost Light Masquerade is the dancers' favorite show and that there is nothing else like it.
The company has commissioned more than 60 new contemporary works, serving as a platform for resident and guest choreographers to explore ideas and push ballet's boundaries, per the same report. The Rosin Box Project usually stages four productions per season, in March, May, August and October, with Ghost Light Masquerade closing out the season before the company holds Encore, an end-of-season celebration in November. The Times of San Diego notes the nonprofit will reach its 10th season next year.
Topazio also told the outlet that arts nonprofits have faced a very tough economic year, and that The Rosin Box Project relies on longtime patrons and donors to weather funding challenges. That financial backdrop frames this month's run of Ghost Light Masquerade as both a creative showcase and a test of the nonprofit model that has carried the company from a four-show debut weekend to a nearly decade-long run of Halloween productions across San Diego.
