Last night our fabulous casts for Spirits of the Gables and the Legacy of the Hanging Judge invited members of The House of the Seven Gables to be a part of dress rehearsals for our October Performances.
2015 was my first year working at the site and I did not get a chance to actually be a part of these shows since my top priority was welcoming our many visitors and helping them around the site. I was delighted to have the opportunity to see my beloved place of employment in a totally new light last evening.
Spirits of the Gables is best described as Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famed novel, The House of the Seven Gables, come to life. You meet the characters of the book and your imagination opens to the quirks and mysteries of the tale as you walk through the house in the evening. The characters–from the ghost of Matthew Maule to Judge Jaffrey will leave you with chills as you exit the 1668 mansion.
The Legacy of the Hanging Judge also allows the visitor to have some insight into the brooding temperament of Nathaniel Hawthorne as he ponders his family’s legacy during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. So many people, even today, struggle with skeletons in the family closet. Today’s visitor essentially time travels from Hawthorne’s time in history to 1692–and is also left with knowledge and information about the struggles of family and community alike.
After getting to experience both of these shows, I would tell you to buy your tickets immediately for both. If you’ve visited The Gables in the past but have not come to one of these performances, join us. It’s simply a wonderful way to see our historic property in a new light–I know I have.
–Julie Arrison-Bishop, Special Projects Manager