Leave the ghost light on: the spirits of DeKalb's Egyptian Theatre | Under Rocks podcast

There’s a long tradition of “ghost lights” in theaters – a light left burning to illuminate an empty stage. WNIJ’s Under Rocks podcast team went to check out the ghost light at DeKalb’s Egyptian Theatre and got more than they bargained for.

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A very lively area for hauntings.

Susan Stephens / WNIJ

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Irv Kummerfeldt's desk with "the golden ticket" and candy found inside the walls of the theater during remodeling.

Susan Stephens / WNIJ

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Dancers stretch beneath the skeletons in the Egyptian lobby.

Susan Stephens / WNIJ

Jeanine Holcomb was our host for a daytime tour of the jewel of DeKalb. She’s marketing and communications director for the Egyptian Theatre, a restored Vaudeville palace built in 1929. She’s fluent in the theater’s rich history, current schedule…and the spirits that call it home.

Take a tour with us! You might just meet the mysterious Lady in Green or the much-loved memory of Irv Kummerfeldt, one of the heroes who saved the Egyptian from destruction in the 1980s.

Thanks to Jeanine and her co-workers for their hospitality. And start planning your next visit at egyptiantheatre.org.

Got a photo of a theater ghost light you’d like to share with us? How about an idea for an upcoming episode? Drop us an email at rocks@niu.edu.

This edition of Under Rocks was produced Spencer Tritt, Dan Libman, and Susan Stephens.