“Ghost Quartet” opens Oct. 17 at Loyola University New Orleans

The Department of Theatre Arts & Dance at Loyola University is pleased to present "Ghost Quartet," a haunted song cycle about love, death and whiskey, from Oct. 17-26, at Lower Depths Experimental Theater, on the Loyola campus.

In "Ghost Quartet," four friends conjure spirits - both spectral and alcoholic - as they unravel four interwoven narratives spanning seven centuries.

The narratives include a warped tale about two sisters and a treehouse astronomer; a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher;" a purgatorial intermezzo about Scheherazade and the ghost of Thelonious Monk; and, a contemporary fable about a subway murder.

Dave Malloy composed the musical, which premiered Off-Broadway in 2014, drawing inspiration from source material as diverse as "Arabian Nights" and "The Twilight Zone."

At Loyola, the play will feature two casts, which will alternate shows, thereby allowing more students actor to participate, said Helen Jaksch, chair of the Theatre Arts & Dance department and a professor of practice in Theatre Arts.

"We were trying to find a variety of musical styles for the students to perform," Jaksch said, noting that "Ghost Quartet" uses languages as varied as folk, gospel, electropop, doo-wop and Jazz. "We decided it would be a really fun challenge for them."

The musical runs 90 minutes, with performances Oct. 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 19 at 2 p.m., Oct. 22-25 at 7:30 p.m., and Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $9 for students with an ID; $16 for senior citizens, and Loyola faculty and staff with an ID; and, $21 for adults.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://cmm.loyno.edu/loyola-presents/buy-tickets.

About Theatre Arts & Dance

In Theatre Arts & Dance, Loyola helps students find their roles of a lifetime. Whether students are more comfortable on stage or behind the scenes, Loyola's broad curriculum in the dramatic arts will ensure that students develop or enhance a sense of artistic and personal discipline, responsibility and a life-long commitment to theatre.