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A ghost light is a light left on in theaters after closing to reduce the risk of injury and liability. It has a superstitious tradition dating back to Shakespeare’s time. The light can be explained as either keeping ghosts away or allowing them to perform. It consists of a bare bulb on a movable pole or stand.
A ghost light is a light that is left on in a theater after everyone has gone home for the night. There are a variety of explanations for the light, ranging from the supernatural to the mundane, and such lights are in common use around the world. Many theater people also use the term to refer to any type of bare bulb left burning to light in an establishment after it has closed, whether or not the establishment is a theater.
The obvious practical reason for using a ghost light is that it reduces the risk of injury to someone in the theater after closing. Sometimes theater staff work late or arrive early, and the light can help navigate them until they turn on additional lights. Stages have a number of areas where people could potentially be injured by falling or tripping, and ghost lights reduce this risk. A light can also act as liability protection should the theater be broken into, because if a burglar is injured while the phantom light is on, the theater could claim not to be liable.
The superstitious tradition behind the light is an ancient one, dating back at least to the time of Shakespeare, and probably even earlier in the history of the theater. According to legend, a candle would be left burning on stage to dispel ghosts of previous performances, especially if those performances went badly. The candle may also have deterred people from trying to break into the theater, obviously by suggesting that someone was present.
Modern theaters usually use a ghost light for liability reasons, but may use a more mystical explanation for the light’s presence. Some say the lights are left on to allow ghosts in the theater to perform at night, for example, while others fall back on the tradition that the light is supposed to keep ghosts away. These conflicting superstitions about ghost or spectral light illustrate the complex and very superstitious culture surrounding the play.
A traditional ghost light consists of a bare bulb, sometimes surrounded by a cage to reduce the risk of fire. The bulb is mounted on a movable pole or stand which is brought onto the stage at night and plugged into an outlet which is left on. Some theaters prefer hanging lights from the ceiling, simply turning them on at night when the staff leave, rather than going through the ritual of running the phantom light and plugging it in.
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