By Nicole Gieselman ’19

Director, playwright, and Acting alumnus Josh Hitchens ‘07 has been sending shivers down spines with his original, autobiographical play Ghost Stories. Directed by Ryan Walter, the one-man show is comprised of six paranormal tales that have (literally) haunted Hitchens throughout his life.

Ghost Stories premiered at SoLow, a pop-up festival in West Philadelphia, from June 22 to 24. The production highlights the primal need for human connection through ghostly and demonic encounters, which range from humorous to horrifying.

Performed in a musty, candle-lit garage filled with battered folding chairs— the address of which is revealed to audiences on the day of the performance— Ghost Stories maintains an eerie ambience that has earned Hitchens critical acclaim, with Broad Street Review calling him an “intimate, compelling storyteller.”

Ghost Stories is Hitchens’ second original work to launch him into the horror theatre circuit, following The Confession of Jeffrey Dahmer, which premiered in 2015. In addition, Hitchens has directed and performed at numerous Philadelphia venues, including Ebeneezer Maxwell Mansion, Curio Theatre, and his own company, Going Dark Theatre. His latest endeavor is directing Hedwig and the Angry Inch, on stage at the Ruba Club until June 30.

Hitchens will perform Ghost Stories at the New Jersey Fringe Festival in Hammonton, N.J. from August 3 to 5.