Experience Green-wood Cemetery at dusk with “The Great American Casket Company”

On Thursdays through Sundays at Green-wood Cemetery, this month, the landmarked landscape turns into a stage for a play, “The Great American Casket Company.”

Beginning with bubbles and music that greet you as you pass through the gateway of Green-Wood, this interactive play allows the audience to immerse itself in a thought-provoking show about life, with the bonus of allowing play-goers to view Green-Wood’s incredible views at night.

Lisa Alpert, director of development and marketing for Green-Wood, learned five years ago, when she took part in “Spoon River,” that there was a great appetite for being in the cemetery at dusk to watch after-dark theater.

“This play was written exclusively for Green-Wood to capture the enchantment of its landscape at dusk,” said Alpert.

“The Great American Casket Company,” which was written by the BREAD Arts Collective, is about a company that makes caskets. Intertwining the subtle discussion of death, as well as other fears many people have, it allows the audience to think about their life.

“You don’t confront immortality straight on [in the play], but it raises the significance of life and how you want to be remembered,” said Alpert.

With the help of design team Modern Rebel and Green-Wood’s exceptional views, the audience is really able to dive into the two-hour play.

“Our goal is to present Green-Wood as a sacred burial ground, but also as a cultural experience,” said Alpert.

There are only 75 tickets per show, and with the play being in its final week, the show looks to be ending on a high note.

Play-goers Jamie Sander and Cindy Rescort of New Jersey found out about the play through an email blast from the cemetery.

“It was a lot of fun and we really loved that the audience got to participate,” said Sander.

Despite the hour-trek home, both Sander and Rescort believe that everyone should go and see the play. The enthusiastic cast and the interaction with them made for a different kind of play experience both of them really enjoyed.

“The grounds are beautiful at night. We had no fears walking through it,” said Rescort.

The play will be having performances from Thursday, June 23 to Sunday, June 26 from 7 to 9 pm. Tickets start at $75. For more information, check out green-wood.com/gacc/.