Midnight ghost show | |
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Originating culture | United States |
Originating era | Early 20th century |
Part of a series on |
Performing arts |
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Midnight ghost shows (also known as spook shows, midnight spook shows, voodoo shows, or monster shows) were traveling stage shows that originated in the United States during the Great Depression.[1] The shows were influenced by the stage magic traditions that preceded them, and typically incorporated illusions; simulated séances; interactivity between a host—often called a "ghostmaster"[2][3]—or performers and the audience; a "blackout" sequence in which the theater would go completely dark; and horror film screenings before or after the show.[4]
Ghost shows experienced a resurgence in popularity in the 1950s due to the output of horror and science fiction films aimed at the young adult market.[5] They declined steadily due to the rise of television,[4] along with the public's changing taste in entertainment,[6] but continued as late as the 1970s.[4] The ghostmasters who presented the shows have been described as precursors to TV horror hosts,[4] and the elements of audience participation and film screenings in the shows themselves have been characterized as prototypical to midnight movies like The Rocky Horror Picture Show.[6][7]