The Regent Theatre
Picton, Ont
September 18, 2021
“Oh my God! Why are there stop lights on the top of this bridge?” Alison yelled out as the vehicle slowed down and came to a stop. “They’re working on the bridge,” replied Rachel. As the vehicle idled at the red light, all we could see to our rights and our lefts was nothing by a body of water, and some small inlets and islands. “Come on light! Come on light!” Alison repeated over and over. The rest of the team started cracking jokes and, after what seemed like forever, the light turned green and we descended down the other side of the bridge. We were now officially over the Sky Way bridge – which was also missing a section, that Rachel had to point out as we were driving by, causing Alison to have a slight panic attack. Nonetheless, the drive was full of jokes laughter and conversation and we were now getting close to our destination.
As we rolled into town, a familiar location greeted us on the right – the Merrill House. We were officially in Picton. We parked and went to have a bite to eat at a local restaurant. Followed by a little bit of shopping at local metaphysical store and a trip to the local Tim Horton’s. After our fun-filled afternoon, it was time to get down to business. We gathered our belongings and equipment and headed to the location we would be spending the remainder of the evening at. The large façade and giant marquee stood out like a landmark should. Its exhibited days gone by with a bit of new age in it. The front doors opened and we were ushered inside. We had officially arrived at The Regent Theatre.
Located on Main Street in downtown Picton, the Regent Theatre is a time capsule of days gone by. The original building was built around the 1830s. It functioned as a commercial block with store fronts and a granary. In 1913, a man by the name of George Cook purchased the building. With a love of theatre, he wanted to open up one of his own. On November 2, 1918, The Regent Theatre had its Grand Opening. George saw the theatre through many renovations- including the introduction of “Talkies” (movies that had speech and were no longer silent) and the second World War. George Cook was also a married man with a family. He and his wife, Ellen, had 4 daughters – Catherine, Olga, Zilda and Mary Louise. When George died in 1959, his youngest daughter, Mary Louise (who went by her middle name, Louise) took over operations at the Regent Theatre. Although she tried, she eventually had to close the doors for good in 1983. 10 years later, the Theatre would be resurrected and the ghost light would turn back on. Today, the theatre is host to a variety of different performances through out the year, as well as a variety of different ghosts and spirits.
As we rolled into town, a familiar location greeted us on the right – the Merrill House. We were officially in Picton. We parked and went to have a bite to eat at a local restaurant. Followed by a little bit of shopping at local metaphysical store and a trip to the local Tim Horton’s. After our fun-filled afternoon, it was time to get down to business. We gathered our belongings and equipment and headed to the location we would be spending the remainder of the evening at. The large façade and giant marquee stood out like a landmark should. Its exhibited days gone by with a bit of new age in it. The front doors opened and we were ushered inside. We had officially arrived at The Regent Theatre.
Located on Main Street in downtown Picton, the Regent Theatre is a time capsule of days gone by. The original building was built around the 1830s. It functioned as a commercial block with store fronts and a granary. In 1913, a man by the name of George Cook purchased the building. With a love of theatre, he wanted to open up one of his own. On November 2, 1918, The Regent Theatre had its Grand Opening. George saw the theatre through many renovations- including the introduction of “Talkies” (movies that had speech and were no longer silent) and the second World War. George Cook was also a married man with a family. He and his wife, Ellen, had 4 daughters – Catherine, Olga, Zilda and Mary Louise. When George died in 1959, his youngest daughter, Mary Louise (who went by her middle name, Louise) took over operations at the Regent Theatre. Although she tried, she eventually had to close the doors for good in 1983. 10 years later, the Theatre would be resurrected and the ghost light would turn back on. Today, the theatre is host to a variety of different performances through out the year, as well as a variety of different ghosts and spirits.
The team entered the foyer and was immediately taken back by how beautiful the interior was. How a lot of the original building was still in place. We were then greeted by our hosts for the evening – Ben and Colleen. We were also joined by two other volunteers who would be filming us that evening for the theatre, as well as the winner of the Theatres recent contest – a contest where the winner as exclusive “rights” to haunt the theatre one day. After some introductions, a bathroom break, and brief insight into the history of the building, we headed to the second floor to begin our walk through. Colleen led the way and soon were in the former living quarters of the Cook family. “How many children did he have?” asked Lisa “Five?” she questioned. “No, four,” replied Rachel. “He is telling me five. Maybe five pregnancies?” Lisa said. “Different Mom’s?” she asked next. “Nope,” replied Rachel. Lisa then gave Rachel a quizzical look, which made Rachel think that there might be something that isn’t publicly known. As the team entered the original kitchen and dining area, both Alison and Lisa felt the same sensation. “Oh, it’s very heavy up here,” said Alison. “It is very hard to breathe up here,” Lisa added. The team moved to the are that was the former living quarters (living room). “Do you know how he passed?” asked Lisa. “I don’t know,” Rachel replied. Lisa then directed the same question to Colleen. “Heart attack? He was born in 1881, died 1959,” she said. “My chest is very compressed right now,” said Lisa. Colleen then pointed towards the attic and asked if we wanted to visit it now or later. “We can go now,” Lisa responded. The team entered the area of the General Managers office, where Colleen and Paula discussed how the room could have once been two separate rooms, but that the dividing wall had been removed. The team then heads up the attic stairs into the area that is now a props and costume gallery. “It’s like a treasure trove!” exclaimed Alison. The attic was filled with old set pieces, props and costumes that had been used throughout the years and donated by locals. “Very hard to breathe,” said Lisa. “Like very hard to breathe,” she repeated with emphasis on the word ‘very’. “I can’t catch my breath,” she added. The team wandered through the aisles when Lisa stopped. “There is something….,” she trailed off. “Okay. There is something. Somewhere else. There is like another room,” she stated. Lisa walked a few more feet and stopped. “There is somewhere else,” she said adamantly. “There is another area, is there not?” she questioned. Colleen was quick to answer her question. “Yes. There is this area,” she said, pointing to a locked door near the staircase. “It goes above the Auditorium. Like a cat walk,” she added. Colleen then went to look for a key to unlock the door for Lisa to take a look inside. “I feel like Alzheimer, dementia for him,” Lisa said. “Colleen said more than likely old age,” replied Alison. The door was finally unlocked and opened. “So, this is an add on?” asked Lisa as she peered into the open space. “Is it new? Not original to the original?” she asked next. “They’re telling me, not the original to the original,” she said. Alison then points out the old bring and joists and how you can tell it had been touched at some point. “They might have added it when they put the fly on in the 1920s,” Colleen said. Lisa was quiet for a few moments. “How close is this to the Courthouse?” she asked next. The general consensus was that is was about a kilometre away. Rachel then pulled out her phone to show the proximity on Google Maps. Lisa looked at the map, but didn’t say anything more. “I want to touch that wall,” Lisa said, as if almost sidetracked away from what she was picking up. “So, touch it,” replied Rachel. Lisa walked over and placed her hand on the old brick wall. “Stevens? Stevenson?” she said. “I feel like its John Stevenson,” she added. Lisa closed her eyes and was quiet for a moment. She opened her eyes and looked directly at the team that was standing in front of her. “So, there was beds up here at one point?” she asked. Colleen replied that she didn’t know. “Yeah, there was,” Lisa stated. “When I say beds, I mean mattresses on the floor. The way I see it is very different. Like I’m seeing mattresses, almost like a flop house,” she added. Colleen questioned if that the attic may have been used as a hotel with cheap rooms back in the day. “I feel like it was for more,” said Lisa. “Like People of Colour,” she added. Colleen divulges that there was a large presence of KKK members in the town in the 1930s and that maybe they did hide within the attic. However, the area is not known to have many People of Colour or underground railroad connections. “I see mattresses. They are People of Colour,” stated Lisa. Colleen then talks about how there were many migrant workers for the farms, and that may they used the attic to house them. “Yeah, I am picking up that they were workers. The mattresses weren’t very comfortable,” Lisa said, adding that she wasn’t sure if they were theatre workers or farm workers. “But there are several. It wasn’t great conditions,” she added. Lisa then removed her hand from the wall and concluded that it was time to head back down the stairs.
Once the team had re-grouped in the General Manager’s office, we headed down the hallway to the last room on the right-hand side. Colleen mentioned that the rest of the rooms would have been bedrooms. As we entered the room, Lisa began to describe what she was seeing. “There was a dresser here,” she said, pointing to the wall with the door on it. “Bed here,” she said pointing to the wall to right of the window. “The dresser had a round mirror on it,” she added. “I feel like it was a female room. I see pink,” she said. “Do you get a name though?” asked Colleen. “I am asking for it,” Lisa replied. “I feel like it has a ‘S’,” she said. “Middle, start, end?” Colleen asked next. “I feel like it starts,” answer Lisa. “Does it sound like an ‘S’?” Colleen asked. “Could be,” said Lisa. “There is a daughter named Zilda,” said Colleen. “I was kind of leaning towards ‘Sylvia’. So that’s very close,” said Lisa. “Do you know what number she was out of the children?” Lisa asked. Colleen nods and tells Lisa that she does. “Okay. I see the number 3,” said Lisa. “Yup, you’re right,” said Colleen. “Number 3 daughter,” she added. With that, the team left the room and headed towards the next area on our tour.
Once the team had re-grouped in the General Manager’s office, we headed down the hallway to the last room on the right-hand side. Colleen mentioned that the rest of the rooms would have been bedrooms. As we entered the room, Lisa began to describe what she was seeing. “There was a dresser here,” she said, pointing to the wall with the door on it. “Bed here,” she said pointing to the wall to right of the window. “The dresser had a round mirror on it,” she added. “I feel like it was a female room. I see pink,” she said. “Do you get a name though?” asked Colleen. “I am asking for it,” Lisa replied. “I feel like it has a ‘S’,” she said. “Middle, start, end?” Colleen asked next. “I feel like it starts,” answer Lisa. “Does it sound like an ‘S’?” Colleen asked. “Could be,” said Lisa. “There is a daughter named Zilda,” said Colleen. “I was kind of leaning towards ‘Sylvia’. So that’s very close,” said Lisa. “Do you know what number she was out of the children?” Lisa asked. Colleen nods and tells Lisa that she does. “Okay. I see the number 3,” said Lisa. “Yup, you’re right,” said Colleen. “Number 3 daughter,” she added. With that, the team left the room and headed towards the next area on our tour.
As we entered the Projection Room, everyone was instantly taken aback. “Oh, I got goosebumps,” Lisa said almost instantly upon entering. “Oh, instant energy field,” exclaimed Alison. The team then entered the room where the projector sat. “Oh, there is a man in here,” said Lisa. “He does not what us in here,” she added. Lisa stood by the door and seemed to be unable to gain her bearings. “There is a lot of energy,” she said. “I had Rachel go first because I am not okay in here,” she added. It was then that Lisa felt unable to breathe. Seeing this, Rachel knew the best course of action was to remove Lisa from the room for the time being. Separated from the remainder of the group, Rachel and Lisa talked about what she was sensing. “I am very anxious,” said Lisa. “I am very, like, aggressive,” she said. “I feel like a letter ‘T’,” she added. “Like a ‘Thomas’?” Rachel questioned. “Yes, exactly. Like a ‘Thomas’,” she replied. “His energy is very strong. It’s not good,” continued Lisa. “Would you say he was a worker? Employee? Friend?” questioned Rachel. It was then that Rachel felt goosebumps go right up her back. It was as if she was hitting on a nerve with this energy that Lisa was picking up. “Yeah, he is very strong,” Lisa said. “He is all around us right now,” she added. “I feel like he hits things, knocks things off. Number 32. Whether he died in 32, or he is 32. The number has something to do with him,” she continued. “Hair is sandy blonde. On the shorter side for a man, five foot four to five foot six. Stocky build,” she described. “He makes his presence known to who ever is in this room. He will bang things, knock things off,” she repeated. “I do not like his energy whatsoever,” she said. After gaining her bearings and preparing herself to deal with this strong male energy, Lisa and Rachel re-entered the projection room. The second both of them walked through the door, both felt goosebumps almost instantly. “Do they know who he is?” asked Lisa. No one had a clue on who this man was in life. “Was it a theatre in 32?” Lisa asked next. “Yeah,” replied Rachel. “Okay, would he have worked lights or something from this room?” she asked next. “Possibly,” answer Rachel. “This is his room. He doesn’t like anybody working in HIS room, “Lisa said. “He just said, ‘I work alone;” she stated. Lisa moved above the room and stopped. “I feel like ‘Jefferson’ would be a name that would come up with this,” she said. “Thomas Jefferson?” Rachel jokingly questioned. “Oh God, no,” replied Lisa. “All I hear was ‘Jefferson’ and then the song ‘Moving on Up’,” she said, as she started to sing the old television shows opening song. “So, there is something like a big light he would have operated,” Lisa said. “Like it goes more up. Would it be anchored to the ceiling?” she asked, indicating that the current one in place wasn’t something that was always there. “It’s very possible,” said Rachel. “What year was Jefferson President,” Lisa suddenly asked. “You’re asking me American History?” Rachel questioned with a smirk. “Great, now I have to Google it. Thank God for smart phones,” she stated. After a quick search, Rachel let Lisa know that Thomas Jefferson was the President of the United States from 1801-1809. “Just trying to figure out if that had something to do with him,” Lisa said. But it seems that it may have just been a coincidence. The team then headed out of the projection room and onto the balcony. “Where there seats up here?” Lisa questioned. “At one point, yes,” answered Colleen. “What it a theatre in 32,” she asked next. “Yes, it was,” replied Colleen. “Okay, I feel like he worked here in 1932,” stated Lisa. As we walked more onto the balcony area Lisa felt like people had seen moving shadows in this particular area. Colleen agreed. “They are telling me there is a shadow that many people have seen,” said Lisa. “This person is showing me a cross. I feel like it has something to do with their religion,” she added. “It’s not a last name?” questioned Rachel. “Oh, Maybe,” Lisa said with a laugh, fully knowing Rachel was referring to her surname and her ties to the area. “56. 56. Something to do with 56 for this person,” Lisa said. She was quiet for a few seconds. “Did somebody recently pass that was on the committee?” Lisa asked Colleen. “Female. Something to do with the chest,” she added. “Dorothy? Dorothea? Something along those lines,” she continued. Colleen could not think of anyone recently that has passed on. But did mention Louise, the daughter of George Cook, and former owner of the Theatre. “The lady you mentioned. Did she pass from cancer?” Lisa asked. Colleen was unsure, but did say that it was high possibility because Louise was a heavy, heavy smoker. “Because she says she passed from Cancer,” said Lisa. Lisa began to pick up on someone passing more recently, in the area of 2010. This left Colleen a bit confused. “Could be an old board member,” said Colleen. “She’s not a very strong energy at all, so we can move on. I am not getting any more from her,” said Lisa. Lisa then walked over to the far part of the room. “Another person now. John,” she said. “1905 is significant for him,” she added. However, that was all she could get. It was then decided to head back down stairs to the main level and visit the reason why everyone comes to the building – the Theatre.
“I don’t think yellow is the colour for in here,” Lisa said as they entered the theatre. Rachel agreed. “When you think of theatres, you think of rick, dark reds and burgundy’s,” she said. “Yellow is a bad luck colour in the theatre world,” Colleen added. “They want it to represent the more historic side of it, not modernize it,” Lisa said. “This person is sad about what is happening here. They said it needs to be protected,” she continued. “And they don’t like the yellow,” she said as the team continued down the aisle towards the front of the stage. A few feet from the stage Lisa stopped. “I feel like somebody was known for something with their mouth,” she said. “Like smacking their mouth. Gum? Chewing tobacco?” she questioned. “Like I’m running my tongue over the roof of my mouth. I feel like I need to do this with my mouth. I can’t stop it,” she continued. “Is there somebody connected that you might know that chewed tobacco?” Lisa asked Colleen. Colleen said she didn’t know of anyone passed that chewed tobacco. While Lisa continued to smack her lips and make chewing noises like a cow chewing its cud, we made our way on to the stage and behind the curtains. “Does somebody know a Barbara?” Lisa asked. “Someone is connected to a Barbara. Like a Grandmother, Great-Grandmother. She is not connected to here,” she added. Colleen said that yes, she knew a Barbara who was older than her and that she was a Grandmother figure. Colleen joked that Barbara was jumping in on this investigation and apologized for her intrusion. “So, things get moved back here?” Lisa asked next. “Like you put something somewhere and go back to get it and its moved to the others side,” she added. Everyone agreed. Things from props, bottles of water to battery packs have been moved or suddenly disappear. “He says he was a stage hand. Does that make sense?” asked Lisa. Colleen agreed. Stagehands would help operate the mechanics of backstage. One of their jobs would be to operate the fly, which is run by sandbags. How they would have to pull up and lower things so that they can be moved and out of the way. “Would you know a name from the 80s? He said he worked here for a decade,” Lisa asked. Colleen mentioned that it could be many. Lisa decided to move on. “What there a wedding here?” she asked next. “Yes!” Colleen said ecstatically. “Recently? Like 5 – 10 years. 2015?” questioned Lisa. She was right - It was around 2015 that a wedding had taken place in the theatre. Colleen then wanted to point out the catwalk that runs up and above the stage and how, during renovations, that items were discovered up there from as far back as 1918. As the team walked over the corner to take a look, Lisa seemed to become a little wobbly on her feet. “Did you see that? I felt like I was falling down stairs,” stated Lisa. “You almost fell over,” responded Rachel. The team began to make their way back across the stage. “The guy who moves the stuff, he is just playing,” said Lisa. Colleen and the others were happy to know that, but wished he would bring back some of the items that had disappeared. The team then headed to the Green room, which is located below the stage.
As the team descended the stairs, Lisa senses where on high alert. “This area is pretty active too,” she said. “There is something to do with the leg,” she said as she walked around the room. Suddenly Lisa stopped. “Do you have any record of someone killing themselves here, do?” she asked Colleen. Colleen said that no, there was no record. Lisa continue to walk around. She entered the first dressing room, closest to the stairs. “When we were going down the stairs I was like ‘where is the chalkboard’,” she said. “And there is the chalkboard!” she exclaimed while pointing to the wall. Each dressing room has chalkboards on the wall, with writing on them. Lisa walked out of the first dressing room and walked into the middle one. “Ah yup, I’m good!” she exclaimed and walked right out. “What’s in there?” asked Rachel. “I don’t know. I just know I don’t want to be near it,” Lisa replied. The team watched as Lisa avoided the last dressing room. “I feel very sick to my stomach down here and I know I am not the only one to feel this way,” said Lisa. “I can’t shake the feeling that somebody died here in this room,” she continued. “I wonder if it was before the theatre. Theatre-wise not that I know of,” Colleen said. “They are showing me their hands, meaning they caused their death. They had something to do with it,” said Lisa. “There was definitely a hanging close to here. I picked that up on the way here,” she said. Colleen then asked how far away from the Theatre did she pick up on that. “Well she did ask about the Courthouse,” said Rachel. Colleen then informed Lisa that there was two, and only two, hangings at the Courthouse. This information was not new to the team. It had actually come up in June when we had investigated the Merrill House which was only a block or so away. “Yes, with Judge…” Lisa trailed off. “Merrill,” Rachel finished. “Judge Merrill. I felt that right away. I wonder if I what I am seeing is one of them,” she questioned herself. Lisa stood in contemplation while Colleen told us how she had plans on production detailing the events of the murder, trial and subsequent hangings that took place. “I definitely feel like somebody caused their own death in some way,” Lisa said, breaking her silence. “So, they did something they weren’t suppose to do and caused their death,” clarified Rachel. Lisa agreed. “Like the way my stomach feels. Like with an O.D., I feel yuck. Its hard to explain. Like I’m feeling sick, like something I ingested caused my death,” she said. “Poisons?” questioned Rachel. “It was definitely mean intentionally for sure,” replied Lisa. Rachel was on to something. “Like arsenic?” she asked. “I don’t think anyone would do that intentionally to themselves. Would that make them throw up?” asked Lisa. “Oh yeah,” responded Rachel. “Would make them so sick. That is why it was used to kill people back in the day. It would make people so sick and they would die and no one would question in,” she added. “Did someone hear a door slam down here? Do doors slam down here?” Lisa asked Colleen. “Not that I know,” she answered. “I feel like doors slam down here. Staff don’t spend much time in this area,” Lisa added. That was true. Most of the staff didn’t spend a lot of time in the green and generally avoided it unless necessary. “I’m good to leave the area now. My stomach is blah,” said Lisa. “It makes my head feel wonky,” she added. The team decided to head back upstairs and take a short break to discuss our action plan for the evening and prepare for the investigation.
After a short break and a podcast interview with the volunteers that were filming us that evening, the team headed back into the Theatre and to the stage. It was decided that to start the evening we would connect with our followers on Facebook and do a Live video! Watch the video below to see what happened the investigation.
As the team descended the stairs, Lisa senses where on high alert. “This area is pretty active too,” she said. “There is something to do with the leg,” she said as she walked around the room. Suddenly Lisa stopped. “Do you have any record of someone killing themselves here, do?” she asked Colleen. Colleen said that no, there was no record. Lisa continue to walk around. She entered the first dressing room, closest to the stairs. “When we were going down the stairs I was like ‘where is the chalkboard’,” she said. “And there is the chalkboard!” she exclaimed while pointing to the wall. Each dressing room has chalkboards on the wall, with writing on them. Lisa walked out of the first dressing room and walked into the middle one. “Ah yup, I’m good!” she exclaimed and walked right out. “What’s in there?” asked Rachel. “I don’t know. I just know I don’t want to be near it,” Lisa replied. The team watched as Lisa avoided the last dressing room. “I feel very sick to my stomach down here and I know I am not the only one to feel this way,” said Lisa. “I can’t shake the feeling that somebody died here in this room,” she continued. “I wonder if it was before the theatre. Theatre-wise not that I know of,” Colleen said. “They are showing me their hands, meaning they caused their death. They had something to do with it,” said Lisa. “There was definitely a hanging close to here. I picked that up on the way here,” she said. Colleen then asked how far away from the Theatre did she pick up on that. “Well she did ask about the Courthouse,” said Rachel. Colleen then informed Lisa that there was two, and only two, hangings at the Courthouse. This information was not new to the team. It had actually come up in June when we had investigated the Merrill House which was only a block or so away. “Yes, with Judge…” Lisa trailed off. “Merrill,” Rachel finished. “Judge Merrill. I felt that right away. I wonder if I what I am seeing is one of them,” she questioned herself. Lisa stood in contemplation while Colleen told us how she had plans on production detailing the events of the murder, trial and subsequent hangings that took place. “I definitely feel like somebody caused their own death in some way,” Lisa said, breaking her silence. “So, they did something they weren’t suppose to do and caused their death,” clarified Rachel. Lisa agreed. “Like the way my stomach feels. Like with an O.D., I feel yuck. Its hard to explain. Like I’m feeling sick, like something I ingested caused my death,” she said. “Poisons?” questioned Rachel. “It was definitely mean intentionally for sure,” replied Lisa. Rachel was on to something. “Like arsenic?” she asked. “I don’t think anyone would do that intentionally to themselves. Would that make them throw up?” asked Lisa. “Oh yeah,” responded Rachel. “Would make them so sick. That is why it was used to kill people back in the day. It would make people so sick and they would die and no one would question in,” she added. “Did someone hear a door slam down here? Do doors slam down here?” Lisa asked Colleen. “Not that I know,” she answered. “I feel like doors slam down here. Staff don’t spend much time in this area,” Lisa added. That was true. Most of the staff didn’t spend a lot of time in the green and generally avoided it unless necessary. “I’m good to leave the area now. My stomach is blah,” said Lisa. “It makes my head feel wonky,” she added. The team decided to head back upstairs and take a short break to discuss our action plan for the evening and prepare for the investigation.
After a short break and a podcast interview with the volunteers that were filming us that evening, the team headed back into the Theatre and to the stage. It was decided that to start the evening we would connect with our followers on Facebook and do a Live video! Watch the video below to see what happened the investigation.
Once the Live video had concluded, we continued our attempted to communicate. A male voice is soon heard – ‘Listen’. “Listen,” Lisa repeated. “We are listening,” said Rachel. A male voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Hey’. “Hey,” replied Lisa. It was then the Lisa noticed that the curtain was moving. “Umm, the curtains just moved,” she said. “I know you are being very vocal down here,” she continued. A voice was heard over the ghost box – ‘What’, followed by ‘Soldiers’. “I heard ‘soldiers’,” Lisa said. “Who is the soldier?” asked Rachel. “Tell us your first name,” she added. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Alfie’. A male voice is heard through the ghost box right after – ‘Anyone’, ‘David’. “David?” Lisa questioned. A few more questioned were asked but nothing was heard. Lisa then questioned if it was time to go to the upper floors. “Well, we came down here because you told us to come down here,” stated Sheena. “Why did you want us down here so bad?” added Rachel. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘I think’. “I think what?” asked Lisa. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Talking’. “Talking,” Alison repeated. “Talking to hear your own voices,” she said. “Maybe they wanted us down here to feel like a part of the conversation,” said Rachel. “Can you make a noise or bang something please?” asked Rachel. The team was quiet, but nothing was heard. “If we turn off the device, will you make a noise or bang upstairs for us?” Rachel asked again. No response was heard through the ghost box, so it was turned off. The team remained silent, but nothing was heard. “Can you maybe walk across the stage for us?” asked Rachel. “Strut your stuff,” she added. “Lets hear a performance,” said Sheena. Again, the room was silent – nothing was heard. After a few more minutes the team decided that the best course of action was to head back to the upper floors. Once in the lobby, the team took a quick break and changed out batteries and equipment. We then decided that we would make our way to the second floor and see if we could communicate with the male energy that was bound and determined to make sure we knew that the space was his, as well as any others that wanted to communicate with us.
The team decided to take a seat at the table that was set up in the balcony area. Rachel placed the REM pod on the floor, right in front of the projection window. As Rachel returns to her seat, the team decides that this would be a good spot to do a ghost box session. This session would be slightly different. Rachel would have noise-cancelling headphones on that would be connected to the ghost box. Team members would be asking questions, that Rachel could not hear. Rachel would then repeat, out loud, any responses that she hears. However, before any of this began, Sean (Lisa’s husband – who had graciously offered to drive us to Picton), who had been silently filming with the SLS camera in the background, abruptly spoke up and said that he saw somebody walk behind us. No one had moved or walked as we were all seated. No one at the table had seen anything either. Not even a couple minutes after, Sean called Rachel over as he has noticed something on the SLS camera. Sean has captured a figure beside one of the camera crew operators. Rachel examines the footage, and she can see the camera operator and what appears to be something beside him. The figure doesn’t stay for long. As Rachel is walking back to the table to take her seat, Colleen lets the team know that the precise place where Rachel had placed the REM pod earlier was where she was standing when she heard a voice in her ear yell “GET OUT.” Colleen said that the originally thought that it was George, but with what Lisa had picked up earlier, she now knows it wasn’t. She went on to say that there was just a lot of strange things happening that didn’t have any explanation. It was now time to begin the ghost box session. Rachel put on her headphones, turned on the ghost box and gave the rest of the team a thumbs up. It was time to start. “Please stop playing with my hair. I don’t like it,” said Lisa. “Boundaries, dude. Boundaries,” she stated. “Who is here with us?” asked Sheena. No response. “How many spirits or ghosts are with us?” she asked next. Again, no response. The team sat in silence for a moment when Lisa attention was drawn to the projection room window. “I just saw movement in the projection room,” she stated. “George are you here?” asked Lisa. No response. “Tom are you here?” she asked next. No response. “Is there anyone here with us today?” asked Sheena. No Response. “Why aren’t you talking to us?” she asked next. No response. “Where are you at?” asked Sheena. “Is there a spot we are supposed to be at?” she added. This time Rachel heard something on the ghost box – “One,” she said. “Is that the first floor?” questioned Lisa. No response. “Is there anything you want us to know?” Sheena asked next. No response. “Are you happy the Theatre is back open again?” asked Colleen. No response. “Do you know that we won’t hurt you?” asked Sheena. “We just want to talk,” she added. Rachel heard a response through the ghost box – “Girl,” she said. “Who’s the girl?” asked Sheena. No response. “What’s your name?” she asked next. No response. “Is the girl here?” she continued. Rachel heard a response through the ghost box – “Guy,” she said. “Who’s the guy?” Sheena questioned. No response. “What’s your name?” she asked next. Rachel heard a response on the ghost box – “Funny one. Catholic,” she said. “I did mention the cross earlier,” said Lisa. It was then that Lisa and Sheena both heard what sounded like a muffled voice coming from the theatre below. Rachel heard a response through the ghost box – “Problem,” she said. “What’s the problem?” asked Sheena. “Was being Catholic a problem?” she added. No response. “Are you happy with the direction the Theatre is going?” Colleen asked. No response. “Who was smoking the cigar?” Sheena asked next. No response. Alison then heard a muffled voice from the theatre below. “There is lots going on down there,” she said. Rachel heard a response through the ghost box – “Look,” she said. “I’m looking,” said Alison. “What’s going on in the theatre?” asked Sheena. Rachel heard a response through the ghost box – “Good,” she said. “What’s good?” asked Sheena. No response. Lisa then noticed that the K2 on the chair behind Paula was activating. “Who is lighting up the K2?” asked Sheena. No response. Colleen then states that she saw a shadow move in the projection room. “Who is in the projection room?” asked Paula. “What’s your name?” she continued. Rachel heard a response through the ghost box – “sounded like ‘All them dead’,” she said. “Well yeah,” replied Lisa. “Do you like the colour yellow?” Sheena asked next. Rachel heard a response from the ghost box – “Smoke,” she said. “It kind of is like a nicotine colour,” said Alison. “Mustard-like,” added Lisa. Rachel then notifies the team that she is feeling cold on her back. “Who is behind me?” she asks. No response. “I feel really cold on my back, like my teeth could start chattering,” she said. “Anything I’m saying making sense?” she then asked. “I literally am hearing nothing,” she continued. “Not really,” said Sheena. “I am shocked there is nothing,” added Colleen. “It’s too quiet,” Rachel added. It was then that the K2 on the chair activated. “Oh, there’s something,” said Lisa. “Thank you!” exclaimed Alison. “Can you make it light up again please?” asked Lisa. The K2, seeming on command, activated again. “Awesome! Thank you!” said Alison. “Can you do it again?” repeated Lisa. Again, the K2 activates. Both Lisa and Rachel, who are sitting directly across from each other, both experience feelings of extreme cold. At this point, Rachel has taken off the headphones and the team has the Ghost box on so everyone can listen. “Who is making me cold?” asked Rachel. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Harry’, ‘John’. “Do you like this piece of equipment the best to communicate with or are you just testing it out?” asked Sheena. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘No’, ‘Bridget’. The K2 then activates again. “See that REM pod on the floor over there?” Rachel questioned. “Can you make that light up?” she asked next. No response. “It won’t hurt you, even though it makes noise,” stated Alison. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Matt’, ‘Gary’. “Are you happy hanging around here at the Theatre?” asked Colleen. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘I do’, ‘I’m good’. “Do you like everybody here at the Theatre?” Colleen asked next. “It’s okay. You can name the person you don’t like,” added Rachel. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Her’. At this point, Lisa was feeling her energy draining away. “Is that you Tom?” asked Colleen. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘It is’, ‘Suckers’. “Did it just say ‘suckers’?” questioned Rachel. Lisa agrees that she heard the same thing. “If you can say a name, say one of our names,” she continued. “Say my name,” said Sheena. Nothing was heard. “Is there three of you?” asked Lisa. A voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘No, Four’, ‘Spirits’, ‘Eight’. “Are you just playing with us?” asked Colleen. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Action’. “Why are you so guys quiet tonight?” asked Colleen. “You don’t have to be quiet around us,” added Rachel. A voice is heard through the ghost box – “I’m in trouble’. The K2 meter had been activating periodically, keeping our attention. “Who is playing with the K2 meter?” asked Alison. “Can you tell us your name please?” she continued. No response was heard. “Can you light it up again please?” Alison asked next. This time a voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘I am’, ‘Lights’. “Would be great if you could light up one light on the REM pod,” added Rachel. Rachel then gets up to show how the REM pod works. “When I get near it, it lights up,” she said. “Can you do that?” she asked. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘No’. “It’s not hard,” stated Rachel. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Um no’. “If you aren’t going to light it up, we are going to go into your projection room,” she added. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Dead’. “Who’s dead?” questioned Alison. “Tell us your name please,” she added. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Waiting’. “Who are you waiting for?” asked Rachel. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘You’, ‘Tom Ward’. “Tom Ward?” Sheena questioned. “I heard ‘Tom’,” stated Lisa. “I’m sure it said, ‘Tom Ward’,” said Sheena. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Ward’, ‘Bye now’. Trying to switch things up, Rachel asked about doing a EVP session. “If I do an EVP session, will I hear your voice on my recorder?” she asked. A voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘No’. Rachel laughs at the response and repeats it. A voice is then heard through the ghost box – ‘Can’t help you’, ‘Poor’, ‘Help’. “What do you need help with?” asked Sheena. “That’s what we are here for,” she added. A voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘Nothing’, ‘Tom’. “Should we go into the projector room?” asked Alison. A voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘No’. “That was a ‘No’,” said Rachel. “We are going to the projector room, so you can follow us or stay here. Up to you,” stated Paula. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘No’. “Okay, you stay here,” added Paula. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘No’. “We are going to your space homie,” said Sheena, as the team gathered the equipment and headed through the door to the projection room.
The team decided to take a seat at the table that was set up in the balcony area. Rachel placed the REM pod on the floor, right in front of the projection window. As Rachel returns to her seat, the team decides that this would be a good spot to do a ghost box session. This session would be slightly different. Rachel would have noise-cancelling headphones on that would be connected to the ghost box. Team members would be asking questions, that Rachel could not hear. Rachel would then repeat, out loud, any responses that she hears. However, before any of this began, Sean (Lisa’s husband – who had graciously offered to drive us to Picton), who had been silently filming with the SLS camera in the background, abruptly spoke up and said that he saw somebody walk behind us. No one had moved or walked as we were all seated. No one at the table had seen anything either. Not even a couple minutes after, Sean called Rachel over as he has noticed something on the SLS camera. Sean has captured a figure beside one of the camera crew operators. Rachel examines the footage, and she can see the camera operator and what appears to be something beside him. The figure doesn’t stay for long. As Rachel is walking back to the table to take her seat, Colleen lets the team know that the precise place where Rachel had placed the REM pod earlier was where she was standing when she heard a voice in her ear yell “GET OUT.” Colleen said that the originally thought that it was George, but with what Lisa had picked up earlier, she now knows it wasn’t. She went on to say that there was just a lot of strange things happening that didn’t have any explanation. It was now time to begin the ghost box session. Rachel put on her headphones, turned on the ghost box and gave the rest of the team a thumbs up. It was time to start. “Please stop playing with my hair. I don’t like it,” said Lisa. “Boundaries, dude. Boundaries,” she stated. “Who is here with us?” asked Sheena. No response. “How many spirits or ghosts are with us?” she asked next. Again, no response. The team sat in silence for a moment when Lisa attention was drawn to the projection room window. “I just saw movement in the projection room,” she stated. “George are you here?” asked Lisa. No response. “Tom are you here?” she asked next. No response. “Is there anyone here with us today?” asked Sheena. No Response. “Why aren’t you talking to us?” she asked next. No response. “Where are you at?” asked Sheena. “Is there a spot we are supposed to be at?” she added. This time Rachel heard something on the ghost box – “One,” she said. “Is that the first floor?” questioned Lisa. No response. “Is there anything you want us to know?” Sheena asked next. No response. “Are you happy the Theatre is back open again?” asked Colleen. No response. “Do you know that we won’t hurt you?” asked Sheena. “We just want to talk,” she added. Rachel heard a response through the ghost box – “Girl,” she said. “Who’s the girl?” asked Sheena. No response. “What’s your name?” she asked next. No response. “Is the girl here?” she continued. Rachel heard a response through the ghost box – “Guy,” she said. “Who’s the guy?” Sheena questioned. No response. “What’s your name?” she asked next. Rachel heard a response on the ghost box – “Funny one. Catholic,” she said. “I did mention the cross earlier,” said Lisa. It was then that Lisa and Sheena both heard what sounded like a muffled voice coming from the theatre below. Rachel heard a response through the ghost box – “Problem,” she said. “What’s the problem?” asked Sheena. “Was being Catholic a problem?” she added. No response. “Are you happy with the direction the Theatre is going?” Colleen asked. No response. “Who was smoking the cigar?” Sheena asked next. No response. Alison then heard a muffled voice from the theatre below. “There is lots going on down there,” she said. Rachel heard a response through the ghost box – “Look,” she said. “I’m looking,” said Alison. “What’s going on in the theatre?” asked Sheena. Rachel heard a response through the ghost box – “Good,” she said. “What’s good?” asked Sheena. No response. Lisa then noticed that the K2 on the chair behind Paula was activating. “Who is lighting up the K2?” asked Sheena. No response. Colleen then states that she saw a shadow move in the projection room. “Who is in the projection room?” asked Paula. “What’s your name?” she continued. Rachel heard a response through the ghost box – “sounded like ‘All them dead’,” she said. “Well yeah,” replied Lisa. “Do you like the colour yellow?” Sheena asked next. Rachel heard a response from the ghost box – “Smoke,” she said. “It kind of is like a nicotine colour,” said Alison. “Mustard-like,” added Lisa. Rachel then notifies the team that she is feeling cold on her back. “Who is behind me?” she asks. No response. “I feel really cold on my back, like my teeth could start chattering,” she said. “Anything I’m saying making sense?” she then asked. “I literally am hearing nothing,” she continued. “Not really,” said Sheena. “I am shocked there is nothing,” added Colleen. “It’s too quiet,” Rachel added. It was then that the K2 on the chair activated. “Oh, there’s something,” said Lisa. “Thank you!” exclaimed Alison. “Can you make it light up again please?” asked Lisa. The K2, seeming on command, activated again. “Awesome! Thank you!” said Alison. “Can you do it again?” repeated Lisa. Again, the K2 activates. Both Lisa and Rachel, who are sitting directly across from each other, both experience feelings of extreme cold. At this point, Rachel has taken off the headphones and the team has the Ghost box on so everyone can listen. “Who is making me cold?” asked Rachel. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Harry’, ‘John’. “Do you like this piece of equipment the best to communicate with or are you just testing it out?” asked Sheena. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘No’, ‘Bridget’. The K2 then activates again. “See that REM pod on the floor over there?” Rachel questioned. “Can you make that light up?” she asked next. No response. “It won’t hurt you, even though it makes noise,” stated Alison. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Matt’, ‘Gary’. “Are you happy hanging around here at the Theatre?” asked Colleen. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘I do’, ‘I’m good’. “Do you like everybody here at the Theatre?” Colleen asked next. “It’s okay. You can name the person you don’t like,” added Rachel. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Her’. At this point, Lisa was feeling her energy draining away. “Is that you Tom?” asked Colleen. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘It is’, ‘Suckers’. “Did it just say ‘suckers’?” questioned Rachel. Lisa agrees that she heard the same thing. “If you can say a name, say one of our names,” she continued. “Say my name,” said Sheena. Nothing was heard. “Is there three of you?” asked Lisa. A voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘No, Four’, ‘Spirits’, ‘Eight’. “Are you just playing with us?” asked Colleen. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Action’. “Why are you so guys quiet tonight?” asked Colleen. “You don’t have to be quiet around us,” added Rachel. A voice is heard through the ghost box – “I’m in trouble’. The K2 meter had been activating periodically, keeping our attention. “Who is playing with the K2 meter?” asked Alison. “Can you tell us your name please?” she continued. No response was heard. “Can you light it up again please?” Alison asked next. This time a voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘I am’, ‘Lights’. “Would be great if you could light up one light on the REM pod,” added Rachel. Rachel then gets up to show how the REM pod works. “When I get near it, it lights up,” she said. “Can you do that?” she asked. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘No’. “It’s not hard,” stated Rachel. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Um no’. “If you aren’t going to light it up, we are going to go into your projection room,” she added. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Dead’. “Who’s dead?” questioned Alison. “Tell us your name please,” she added. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Waiting’. “Who are you waiting for?” asked Rachel. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘You’, ‘Tom Ward’. “Tom Ward?” Sheena questioned. “I heard ‘Tom’,” stated Lisa. “I’m sure it said, ‘Tom Ward’,” said Sheena. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Ward’, ‘Bye now’. Trying to switch things up, Rachel asked about doing a EVP session. “If I do an EVP session, will I hear your voice on my recorder?” she asked. A voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘No’. Rachel laughs at the response and repeats it. A voice is then heard through the ghost box – ‘Can’t help you’, ‘Poor’, ‘Help’. “What do you need help with?” asked Sheena. “That’s what we are here for,” she added. A voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘Nothing’, ‘Tom’. “Should we go into the projector room?” asked Alison. A voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘No’. “That was a ‘No’,” said Rachel. “We are going to the projector room, so you can follow us or stay here. Up to you,” stated Paula. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘No’. “Okay, you stay here,” added Paula. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘No’. “We are going to your space homie,” said Sheena, as the team gathered the equipment and headed through the door to the projection room.
The ghost box was still on when we entered the projection room. No sooner were we all in there that a voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘You Bitch’, ‘Leave’. Then suddenly a loud, high pitch screamed was heard coming from it. “Did you hear that?” Lisa asked with a shocked expression. Rachel then placed the REM pod on the spool and turned it on. “The only way you’ll get us out of here is to light that REM pod up,” she said. A voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘Leave’. “He is not happy we are in here,” stated Lisa. “Just light up the REM pod and we will be on our merry little way,” said Sheena. A voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘No’. “No throwing anything,” added Paula. A voice was herd through the ghost box – ‘Go’. “We will go if you do something,” said Rachel. “You threw our cash box,” added Colleen. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘No’. “Is it because we’re watching?” asked Colleen. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Tom’. “Well Tom, show us something,” she said. “Show us something. Do something and we will be out,” said Rachel. “All this is right now is a bunch of words,” she added. “Come on Tom,” said Sheena. “We are in your room,” she added. “Saying words isn’t going to do much of anything,” said Rachel. A voice was heard through the ghost box – ‘Shut up’. “It told you to shut up,” Lisa said to Rachel. “We just want to know who you are,” Rachel replied. A voice was heard though the ghost box – ‘Just shush’. “Well, I’m freaking sorry. But you know what, you don’t treat people like that,” Rachel stated with a very authoritative sounding voice. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Go, go’. “Go, go. Did you hear that?” asked Lisa. “You can be rude all you want and mean. That’s your prerogative, but we just want to talk,” said Rachel. “It would be nice if you could say a few words that aren’t negative and maybe touch the REM pod,” she continued. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Leave’. “Nah, we are going to spend the night. Have a sleep over. Right here,” Rachel said sarcastically. “How many years did you work in here?” asked Paula. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Eight’, ‘Leave right night’. “I’m very like, I really feel like I’m drained,” stated Lisa. “My throat is very sore,” she added. A voice is heard through the ghost box – ‘Why are you still talking’, ‘Jesus fuck’. “Did you hear that!” exclaimed Lisa. With that, we decided that it was time to conclude the investigation. “We are slowly leaving so you can have your space back,” Rachel said as the team gathered the equipment and one by one, left the projection room. “We will be back,” Sheena said loudly as the door closed behind her.
As the end of the night drew near, it was time to pack it in. We gathered our equipment, said our goodbyes and headed outside towards our vehicle. As we stood outside, across the street, we couldn’t help but admire the old building in all of her glory. To change her would tarnish her history. To shut her down would be a disgrace. One can only hope that the Regent Theatre remains exactly how it is. Keeping her the way she is meant to be – a small town theatre with big hopes and dreams. A place where locals can reminisce - Memories of the past meeting the hopes of the future. Keeping the ghost light on when the rest of the lights go out.
Check out The Regent Theatre’s website for more information on upcoming shows and performances and plan your visit! Find all your information at www.theregenttheatre.org
Perhaps George Cook will personally usher you in.
Regent Theatre Picton – Ovilus 5 Words
TOOL
SON
NANA
PLAY
WALTER
DEVELOPED
EVERY
JULY
PERIOD
PAGE
AND
HURT
SHAKEN
SIGN
GAUZE
JUMPED
REACH
CELLAR
FORM
BEGIN
WINGS
HAIR
MALICIOUS
COOK
REMOTE
MINI
SALIRAN
EIGHTY
HEAVY
BASE
NEAR
THREAT
WALTER
WESTERN
REMEMBER
BUT
MATTER
BAND
MACHINE
FASTER
ESPECIALLY
OLDER
SCARED
IRON
SHAKEN
SLIGHT
LEDGE
HIPID HOP
CREEK
As the end of the night drew near, it was time to pack it in. We gathered our equipment, said our goodbyes and headed outside towards our vehicle. As we stood outside, across the street, we couldn’t help but admire the old building in all of her glory. To change her would tarnish her history. To shut her down would be a disgrace. One can only hope that the Regent Theatre remains exactly how it is. Keeping her the way she is meant to be – a small town theatre with big hopes and dreams. A place where locals can reminisce - Memories of the past meeting the hopes of the future. Keeping the ghost light on when the rest of the lights go out.
Check out The Regent Theatre’s website for more information on upcoming shows and performances and plan your visit! Find all your information at www.theregenttheatre.org
Perhaps George Cook will personally usher you in.
Regent Theatre Picton – Ovilus 5 Words
TOOL
SON
NANA
PLAY
WALTER
DEVELOPED
EVERY
JULY
PERIOD
PAGE
AND
HURT
SHAKEN
SIGN
GAUZE
JUMPED
REACH
CELLAR
FORM
BEGIN
WINGS
HAIR
MALICIOUS
COOK
REMOTE
MINI
SALIRAN
EIGHTY
HEAVY
BASE
NEAR
THREAT
WALTER
WESTERN
REMEMBER
BUT
MATTER
BAND
MACHINE
FASTER
ESPECIALLY
OLDER
SCARED
IRON
SHAKEN
SLIGHT
LEDGE
HIPID HOP
CREEK