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History and dead folks come alive when Hawthorne Players presents “Voices of Valhalla: A Hayride through History” on Oct. 11, 12, 18 and 19 at Valhalla cemetery, 7600 St. Charles Rock Road.  The performances mark the fourth season for Hawthorne’s  popular “theatre in a cemetery” event, produced by Valhalla Cemetery and Funeral Chapel.   The non-scary hayrides begin at 6:30 each evening.

Reservations are required and tickets are going fast.  Call 314-863-3011 during business hours.  This event is not recommended for young children.

The audience first gathers in the Mausoleum where they encounter Margaret Schuermann.  She killed her husband with a butcher knife in 1914 after decades of marital strife, including two divorces and 14 law suits.  He complained that she was always so crabby because she ate so many coffee beans.

The audience then boards the hay wagons for their hayride through time, first meeting two sons of Margaret, buried next to her in the dysfunctional family’s plot.  One of the brothers killed the other, and then later had himself buried beside his victim, united forever.

Other characters include a man who gets killed stealing a pair of shoes, the engineer of an unlucky “hoodoo train,” the founder of an international business organization, a salesman for Playboy cigars, and a woman who becomes one of the first female car salespersons in America.

Director/Writer Larry Marsh says that this year’s stories are sure to both entertain and inform.  “Some are funny, some disturbing, some inspiring, but all of them are true. And during the evening you’ll also learn a lot about St. Louis history.”

The characters will be portrayed by Tim Callahan, Nancy Crouse, George Lewandowski, Chris Mead, Therese Melnykov, James Reagan, John Reidy, and John Robertson.  Guides will be Pam Geppert, Shug Goodlow, Colleen Heneghan, Marian Holtz, Kate Weber and Beth Working.

For more information, visit www.hawthorneplayers.com or call 314 359 0842

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