DERRY — Derry Public Library presents "Ghost Stories" on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 1:30 p.m.
This is a double-bill of short, one-man plays adapted by actor Greg Oliver Bodine from two classic maritime ghost stories, "The Screaming Skull" and "The Upper Berth" by F. Marion Crawford.
Bodine enthralled library audiences with "Poe, Times Two" and Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" in previous years.
This year, Bodine brings two chilling maritime ghost stories to usher in the Halloween season, with "Dark Soundings."
In "The Screaming Skull," Capt. Braddock, a retired seaman, tells a haunting tale about the local doctor whom he suspects of murdering his wife by pouring molten lead in her ear. The doctor then dies mysteriously "by the hands or teeth of some person unknown."
In "The Upper Berth," a business traveler and sailor named Brisbane recalls securing a haunted berth on the steamship, Kamtschatka, bound for Liverpool. He requests a stateroom with a double bunk and is disappointed to learn that he will have a roommate in the upper berth.
During the first night of the voyage, his roommate runs screaming out of the small room and throws himself overboard. Brisbane learns that three other men who booked into Room 105 have killed themselves in the same fashion.
"Dark Soundings" is a must-see for haunted ship enthusiasts and fans of mystery and horror. The program is suitable for adults and children 12 and older.
Bodine, who appears courtesy of Actors' Equity Association, is an actor and writer from New York City. He has performed in numerous productions of regional stock and New York theater. He has appeared on television in "Guiding Light," "As the World Turns" and "Saturday Night Live."
The performance is free. Light refreshments will be served during intermission.
Reservations may be made by phone or in person, and are recommended although not necessary. Call the Derry Public Library at 432-6140 for additional information.
