Ghost Quartet
by Dave Malloy

Ghost Quartet Book Cover
Ghost Quartet Cover

Highlights

90 mins Present Day Ensemble Cast Bare Stage/Simple Set Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes

Awards & Recognition

Drama Desk Award Drama League Award

Winner! 2016 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Visiting Production Nominee: 2015 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music Nominee: 2015 Drama League Award for Outstanding Musical Nominee: 2015 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Unique Theatrical Experience Best of 2014 Designations from The New Yorker, The New York Times, Broadway World, Playbill and The Cast Album Review

Synopsis

Rose has a problem.

She’s been betrayed by her lover, a local tree-dwelling astronomer, with her very own sister.

Rose seeks vengeance and a passing bear might just offer the answer.

But his services come at a price: a pot of honey, one piece of stardust, a secret baptism – and a photo of a ghost.

A kaleidoscopic journey spanning continents, centuries and the cosmos ensues.

But even through the fogs of time and a haze of whiskey, Rose can’t shake the feeling that she’s done this all before… Ghost Quartet is an intoxicating musical of love, loss and spirits – both the spectral and alcoholic kind.

This hauntingly beautiful song cycle is a story about stories themselves – how we tell them, how we hear them, and how they evolve, intertwine and draw us in.

Press Reviews

"Critic’s Pick! “Rapturous… this happily haunted song cycle speaks in many styles… Ghost Quartet uses languages as varied as gospel, folk ballads, honky-tonk anthems of heartbreak, electropop, doo-wop and jazz à la Thelonious Monk."

— The New York Times

"Intoxicatingly strange… As urban legends feed into drunken odes to friendship, with whispered stories of scattered stars and broken hearts, a coziness settles over the theatre, a welcome spirit of generosity mingling with the ghosts and ghouls."

— The Guardian

"An experiment in mood and evanescence, a chance to get inside the singer-songwriter’s head and savor the superb musicianship of his collaborators… There’s not a linear story to follow, but the material coheres on a rich, intuitive level."

— TimeOut NY

"Ghost Quartet brims with life… the best way to enjoy the show is to simply lose yourself in its otherworldly atmosphere, which easily goes from surreal to eerie, from touching to playful."

— New York Post

"Unfolds with a subtly seductive allure... breathtaking harmonies, compelling characters, and rich musicianship draw us into a cozy world to explore our fascination with and connection to otherworldly spirits for a uniquely thrilling evening."

— Terry Byrne, Boston Globe

Characters

Character
Gelsey

Plays SCHEHERAZADE, PEARL WHITE, SOLDIER, LADY USHER, THE VICTIM/PEARL

Dave

Plays MONK, THE ASTRONOMER, EDGAR, THE DRIVER

Brent

Plays SHAH ZAMAN, BEAR, THE FOOL, THE PUSHER SCHEHERAZADE, DUNYAZAD, SHAH ZAMAN and MONK live in 14th-century Persia.

Brittain

Plays DUNYAZAD, ROSE RED, (STARCHILD), ROXIE, THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ROSE

Videos

Ghost Quartet – Boulevard Soho Trailer

Publication

ISBN-13 9780573712357
ISBN-10 0573712352

Ghost Quartet is a play written by Dave Malloy and published by Concord Theatricals .

Community Reviews

No community reviews yet

Buy Play

Performance Rights

Available for Licensing
Amateur & Professional
Fee: Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.
Apply for Rights

Similar Plays

Plays with similar themes, style, and content.

More from Dave Malloy

More plays from Dave Malloy that we think you'll enjoy.