Although Huntington Beach High School (HBHS) may seem like a typical school, it has eerie lore that lies beneath. Ask any student in the Huntington Beach Academy of the Performing Arts (APA) program, and they’ll have a haunting tale to share about the APA theater’s resident ghost.
The Tale of George
The story begins with, George T. Hale, who was a student at HBHS a long, long time ago. He was a techie in APA when the program was first established. His best friend Pete Dunham was an actor, and so was his girlfriend, Faye. One day, George and Pete were walking around when they ran into Faye. She told them the exciting news that she had been chosen to play the lead in the school’s upcoming production of “Romeo and Juliet.” Pete was casted alongside her as Romeo, which made George felt a little left out since he was only working tech for the show.
Just before opening night, Faye told George she had to practice for the show, so she left his house early. George watched her go, but soon noticed that she left her script behind, so he drove over to Pete’s house to bring it to her. When he got there, he heard strange noises coming from upstairs. He carefully crept up to the second floor and poked his head into Pete’s bedroom where he discovered, to his horror, Faye cheating on him with his best friend. At the sight, he ran out of the house without saying anything.
The next day, George was nowhere to be found. The cast was frantically searching for him, but no one knew where he was. They looked in all the places he could’ve been, but the show needed to start, so they decided to go without him. The play had been going smoothly and as they reached the balcony scene, everything seemed normal until Pete finished his soliloquy. The lights began to flash and the sound system screeched loudly, disrupting the play and startling the audience. Suddenly, everyone looked up to see what the commotion had revealed amongst the curtains—George had hung himself from the catwalks above the stage.
George’s Story Today
The story of George varies from one APA department to the next, with each featuring different levels of gore and macabre.
Chase Skodje, a Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) sophomore and APA Acting student, said, “I heard that he was crushed by a prop on stage after something dramatic happened with his girlfriend.”
While George’s real fate is uncertain, legend has it that his soul has lived in the theater since that very day, bringing good or bad luck to performances on the stage. He allegedly watches over the people working in tech, ensuring that everyone remains kind to each other. There are also many people who alleged having encounters with George during shows.
Ethan Horner, an HBHS freshman who is part of the APA Musical Theater department, said, “After every show, everyone has to strike the set, and for ‘Shrek: [The Musical],’ I had to go down to the basement. When I was down there, I heard weird noises, and I saw shadows moving around, and it was really scary.”
However, there are some traditions and superstitions to keep up with in the theater in order to appease George.
“Every show we have this thing called a ‘George Bill,’” said Neve Farr, a sophomore in the technical theater department of APA. “Basically, the whole cast signs it, and the [tech] seniors hide it, and then later, people try to find the Playbill. It’s just a fun tradition that we do to appease George, like a good luck charm to make the show go well.”
Failure to adhere to these traditions may cause people to forget lines, lose or break props and damage set pieces.
“So, before every main-stage [performance], we’re supposed to sign the George bill, except opening night for Romeo and Juliet,” said Ben Phelps, a senior actor in APA. “And based on theater superstitions, that typically means things are going to go horribly wrong and the show is ‘cursed.’ We did sign it during intermission, though.”
Another tradition is the “ghost light,” where at the end of the day, as everyone leaves the theater, there’s a small, standing light center-stage so George won’t be all alone in the dark theater.
APA students continue to honor George in the years since he attended HBHS. APA’s recent production of “Romeo and Juliet” had many APA students thinking about George’s presence in the theater.
Luckily, this production of “Romeo and Juliet” did not end in death and despair, but it was wildly successful and enjoyed by many. So in the end, it’s safe to say that George the ghost brings APA students together.
