There's a war raging in Columbia, and you're invited to join in - if you dare. Rivertown Theatre Productions will present Columbia's Haunted Lantern Tour, "Civil War," beginning on Friday, Oct. 13.
The annual, nonprofit tour will kick off at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 616 Locust St., before guests will venture through Mount Bethel Cemetery, guided by lantern light on the one-hour tour.
"The state of Pennsylvania is well known as a prominent player in the American Civil War with its substantial contribution of military supplies and soldiers," said Sara Mimnall, owner of Rivertown Theatre Productions and producer and director of Columbia's Haunted Lantern Tour, adding that everyone is familiar with the Battle of Gettysburg. "But it was Columbia, its citizens, and the historical events that took place an entire month before the famed event in Gettysburg that supplied history archives with the timeline of the end of the war that made the world what it is today."
She emphasized that the tour won't just feature recitation of historic war facts, but will instead be an interactive event. "Our characters include prominent public figures, an Irish immigrant, soldiers representing both sides of the war, field nurses, orphaned children and so much more," she explained. "We have brought all walks of life together to re-enact the trials and tribulations faced by our town in the 1860s."
Mimnall said the tour offers people an opportunity to enjoy original theater in a fun and spooky setting.
"How many people can say they've attended a theatrical performance written, directed and rehearsed right in their hometown?" she said. "I write an original script for each production every year. I'm constantly recording new ideas and notes on things I want to include. I could be researching a historical figure's life history and come across something unexpected and suddenly end up down a rabbit hole of information on an entirely different subject. But that's all part of the fun."
Mimnall has always had an interest in the Civil War, and she tapped into the knowledge of longtime friend and lifelong Columbia resident Cindy Beaston for this year's tour. Beaston is a longtime Civil War enthusiast, and she'll portray a Union soldier in the tour.
Mimnall also pointed out that the title of the tour, using the word "haunted," can be a little misleading. "The tour is the perfect combination of historical education and theatrical entertainment," she said. "I want to make it abundantly clear that we are not a horror attraction. The haunted aspect comes into play with the assistance of the costumed actors who portray ghosts from the past to tell their tales or re-enact local historic events, allowing guests to feel as if they're experiencing a historical moment right as it was taking place."
Tours will run every half hour beginning at 6:30 p.m. with the last tour stepping off at 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 13, 14, 20 and 21, and at 8 p.m. on Sundays, Oct. 15 and 22. A cash concession stand will be available before and after the tour. All tours are rain or shine. Tickets may be purchased by calling Holly at 717-587-5368.
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