House lights, pounding, and a whispered encouragement in a junior high theater
A 15-year-old caller who gives their name as [name withheld], from Redding, California, describes an eighth-grade school play staged in an old junior high theater said to date from 1911. They report house lights switching on and off by themselves, pounding like footsteps on the catwalk, curtains moving, and a girl’s whisper in their head urging them on. The play went ahead, and the audience took the disturbances as part of the act.
This clip comes from the source recording. AI chose where it starts and ends, so it may start or end a little early or late. The word-for-word transcript is not published. You can hear the source recording on the Internet Archive (file “Ghost to Ghost 1998.mp3”, starting at 2:03:57). Is this you, or someone you know? Ask for a correction or removal.
The story as told
The caller, who gives their name as [name withheld] and says they are 15 and from “reading california,” tells Art Bell about a play they performed in during eighth grade at their junior high. They say the school dates back to 1911 and has [quote withheld] The caller was in their first play and had the lead role. They say there had been talk that the theater was haunted because the house lights, described as brand new, would go on and off repeatedly. They say the whole audience saw it. They report that backstage, stagehands could see the light switch moving up and down. Their friend, the stage manager, was operating the house lights and [quote withheld] The caller also describes pounding on the catwalk above the house lights, which sounded [quote withheld] The caller describes side-entrance curtains backstage flapping back and forth [quote withheld] While getting into costumes, they say they felt as though they heard a girl’s whisper in their head telling them they would do all right and that the speaker was looking over them. Asked who they think it was, they say they had heard “just stories” of a girl who performed in a play when the school opened and who may have died, and who liked the theater. The caller suggests it might have been her. Art asks how the play went. They say it went fine and that the audience assumed the disturbances were a trick, though backstage people later told their families. They say the cast took their craft seriously and would not have staged such a prank.
Reported events, in order
- 0:24
The caller says they are 15 and from Redding, California, and introduces a story from eighth grade.
- 0:36
They say their junior high dates from 1911 and has a large old theater, where they had the lead in their first play.
- 0:56
They report the house lights going on and off repeatedly during the play, seen by the whole audience.
- 1:31
They say stagehands saw the light switch moving and their friend the stage manager was not touching it.
- 1:43
They report pounding on the catwalk above the house lights, like footsteps running across.
- 1:59
They describe backstage curtains flapping as if pushed.
- 2:24
While dressing, they report a girl’s whisper in their head encouraging their performance.
- 3:18
Asked who it was, they tell of stories about a girl who performed at the school and may have died there.
- 4:30
They say the play went fine and the audience assumed the disturbances were part of the act.
Claims
Each claim is labeled as something the person telling the story noticed (observation), what they made of it (interpretation), something others told them (hearsay), or something the host said (host statement).
- observation· 0:56
House lights switched on and off by themselves during the play, seen by the whole audience.
- observation· 1:04
Stagehands saw the light switch moving up and down.
- observation· 1:31
Their friend the stage manager was not touching the switch.
- observation· 1:50
Pounding on the catwalk sounded like footsteps running across.
- observation· 1:59
Backstage side-entrance curtains moved as if pushed.
- observation· 2:24
The caller felt or heard a girl’s whisper in their head encouraging them.
- interpretation· 2:45
The caller felt the presence of a ghost around them.
- hearsay· 3:18
Stories held that a girl who performed in a play when the school opened may have died and stayed.
- interpretation· 3:42
The caller thinks the whisper may have been that girl.
- interpretation· 4:12
The caller thinks it is a restless spirit making mischief, not wanting to stay.
- interpretation· 5:03
The caller says the cast would not have faked it because it would be unprofessional.
Scores, with reasons
An AI model gave these scores using a fixed set of scoring rules (scoring-v1). They are editorial judgments and rough guides, not the odds that anything paranormal happened. How scoring works.
A clear firsthand story with a concrete setting (a 1911 junior high theater), a named role, and consistent answers to the host. The caller also addresses the obvious prank explanation. However, the story is brief and nothing on air backs it up.
Evidence for and against
- Firsthand witness to the play and the disturbances.
- Concrete setting: [quote withheld]
- Distinguishes what the caller perceived from what they concluded (“I felt like”).
- Addresses the prank explanation directly.
- No second witness speaks on air.
- Key details (exact school, dates, run of the play) are vague.
- Some elements are impressionistic ([quote withheld]).
- Redding versus “reading” in the transcription.
- Whether the activity spanned one or several performances.
- 0:36
- 2:45
- 5:03
What the model inferred (not said on air): Scored in the middle range: specific and consistent firsthand testimony, but short, with a readily available prank explanation that is only partly answered.
Only the caller’s word, plus claimed witnesses who do not appear on air. Named details are limited, and nothing is checkable.
Evidence for and against
- Names the era of the school (1911) and the caller’s role in the play.
- Claims multiple witnesses (audience, stagehands, friend).
- No physical evidence, recording, or photograph mentioned.
- No one backs the caller up on air.
- School and location not precisely identified.
- Whether the light-switch story comes from the friend directly or was retold.
- 1:31
What the model inferred (not said on air): Claimed witnesses without confirmation on air put this in the low range for the caller’s word plus some details.
Disruptive lights, pounding, and moving curtains give mild unease. But the caller describes the whisper as reassuring and says it was “kind of neat,” which lowers the fear level.
Evidence for and against
- Pounding [quote withheld] overhead.
- Curtains moving [quote withheld]
- Whisper described as a ghostly presence.
- Caller says [quote withheld]
- The whisper is encouraging, not threatening.
- The audience treated it as part of the act.
- Tone of the recounted performance scenes.
- 1:54
- 2:53
What the model inferred (not said on air): Eerie theater-haunting elements balanced by a harmless framing yield a modest creepiness score.
A haunted school theater is a familiar setup. But the combination of audience-wide light switching and a comforting whispered encouragement to the lead actress gives it a modest distinctive detail.
Evidence for and against
- Old 1911 school theater setting.
- House lights operated by an unseen hand during a live show.
- Encouraging whisper to the performer.
- Strange lights, footsteps, and moving curtains are stock haunted-building elements.
- The ghost of a performer is a common theme.
- Limited detail about the rumored girl.
- 3:18
What the model inferred (not said on air): Familiar haunted-theater setup with one warmer, unusual twist.
Scoring confidence 0.70 · analysis confidence 0.75 · checked against outside sources: no · evidence available: The caller’s firsthand word.; Claimed but unverified witnesses (audience, stagehands, stage manager friend).. The originality score blends the model's score (52) with how rare the story's details are across the archive. This method is still provisional.
Ordinary explanations to consider
These are possibilities only. None is a finding about what happened.
- A practical joke or backstage prank by students using the light switch and catwalk. · The caller notes the cast would not do it as it would be “unprofessional,” which suggests the possibility was considered. The switch and catwalk are accessible backstage.
- Ordinary building noise and drafts moving the curtains. · The caller describes the curtains flapping at side entrances to backstage, which could be affected by air movement.
- A stage whisper or suggestion from someone nearby being experienced as internal. · The caller says they were alone behind the curtain but “felt like” a whisper in their head, and was “really nervous” before their first lead role.
What stands out
The story pairs disruptive, poltergeist-style activity (lights, pounding, curtains) with a kind, encouraging whisper addressed to the lead performer. The audience reportedly took the whole thing as part of the show.
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