COLUMN: An insider’s look at Phantom Turns 40!

July 8, 2025  |  By Ramsey Brown

Phantom Theater marks its 40th anniversary with the show 'Phantom Turns 40!' July 18-19. Courtesy photo

This summer, Phantom Theater reaches a remarkable milestone – 40 years of bold, original, and unforgettable performances. To mark the occasion, the company is pulling out all the stops with “Phantom Turns 40!” – a vibrant mash-up of greatest hits, comedy sketches, dance, original music, and moments of reflection, happening July 18-19 at the Edgcomb barn in Warren. 

As with every season, this summer’s cast is a mix of local talent and professional performers traveling from all over the country. The cast reads like a who's who of eclectic artists: actors, musicians, directors, teachers, authors, restauranteurs, architects, treehouse builders, humanitarians and more. Each brings their artistry and life experience to the stage in a way that embodies Phantom’s ethos: original, genre-defying, and full of heart. 

People keep asking me what the show will be about, understandably, since I am a member of the ensemble cast. But the truth is, I won’t really know until the lights go up on opening night. That is the beauty of Phantom. When this group of wildly creative performers reunites, the process becomes a form of curated improvisation. B’fer Roth said, “Phantom shows fill you with a sense of wonder; you wonder what you’re getting into! But you know you will be pleasantly surprised.”

For many cast members, Phantom has never been just a theater – it’s been a creative home. I fell in love with the stage as a child performing numerous shows with Phantom, playing Ariel in “The Tempest” and delivering a Lady MacBeth monologue before the age of 10. That same monologue even found its way into my first solo show, “Killing It,” 20 years later.

Longtime Phantom collaborator, Ben Schneider, tells a similar story: “I remember going to see the very first Phantom Theater show, ‘Crimes of the Heart,’ and that experience had a lot to do with me being interested in theater when I got to college years later.” 

Phantom has ignited a lifelong love for the arts in many of us, and this anniversary show is a true celebration of that shared passion. 

Our first cast rendezvous began on Zoom, a little over a month ago, filled with witty banter, heartfelt memories, and the kind of wild ideas that only Phantom could dream up – one instant favorite was an original song by founder Cat Carr, titled, “I Can Feel Myself Aging,” which we all agreed felt hilariously appropriate for a 40th anniversary show. 

Even though we were still in the beginning stages of brainstorming, we knew that beloved characters, Wolfie and Clog, would return as the show’s emcees, played by Director David Sinaiko and Ben Schneider. Their return captures the spirit of joyful improvisation which is one of the defining characteristics of this show. 

“Wolfie is a lounge singer who is very groovy and vaguely European, though he claims to be from Denver, so you know he is a person of mysterious origin,” explained Sinaiko. Schneider added, “Clog is a lovely combination of an intellectual and a beast... he’s funny and oddly sensitive and I really enjoy living life through him. Clog is very excited to be back in town!” 

We are all wondering: Has Clog finally removed the fork from his skull?

“Phantom Turns 40!” is more than a retrospective. It’s a living, breathing celebration of what makes theater matter.  “It’s going to be a communal active celebration,” Sinaiko said, “a celebration of both the people on the stage and the people in the audience and what we’ve shared together in making theater.”

Carr added, “This ensemble is like a master jazz group that has played together for decades... still at the top of their game.” 

So, whether you’re a longtime fan or discovering Phantom for the first time, join us for “Phantom Turns 40!” Laugh, reflect, and revel in the magic that has made Phantom Theater a creative beacon for four decades. 

Even as a performer, I am just as excited to see what unfolds as anyone else in the audience. Who knows? Lady MacBeth might even make an appearance… perhaps this time, in a strip club in Los Angeles. 

Phantom Theater presents Phantom Turns 40! Friday and Saturday, July 18 and 19, 8 p.m. Find more information and purchase tickets online at phantomtheater.org. 

Ramsey Brown is a member of Phantom Theater’s Board of Directors.