Theater Artists Olympia to present 'Yuletide Spirits' for one night only
Originally published on The JOLT News on December 8, 2025
Nodding to the ghosts of Christmas past, Theater Artists Olympia (TAO), for one night only on Dec. 19, will engage in the immortal 16th century English tradition of gathering together and telling scary stories during Yuletide.
Contributing something timeless to the New Traditions stage, the actors of TAO will tell these stories in a variety of ways from classic readings to story theatre, which performs similarly to an Audible dramatization. An audiobook and old radio geek myself, I am really looking forward to seeing this type of story telling brought to life beyond my earbuds and with multiple senses being engaged, stimulating different parts of your brain.
“There is so much personality from these actors who are very good at what they do,” TAO director Pug Bujeaud shared. “There will be a lot of (creative energy and dynamics) put into this.”
Read what I wrote about TAO and Bujeaud earlier this year.
Wanting to give something to the community, this event will be priced with a “pay what you can donation” with no one being turned away. You can select your donation andpurchase your ticketsfor “Yuletide Spirits” today.
The event is being held at Traditions Fair Trade, 300 5th Ave. SW in Olympia.
Putting it together
Curated and directed by Bujeaud, the “Yuletide Spirts” program will be filled with stories similar to Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” that are tastefully selected. In other words, these are nostalgic ghost stories written in a different era, and therefore will not tap into the immense darkness we sometimes see in modern film and novels today.
“I decided to put a limit on how scary the stories are,” Bujeaud said. “I came across this Victorian Christmas story with a little boy who wanted presents from his parents. The parents went out and took the last of the money and went out drinking and left the boy home with the rats. The story ends with the little boy being eaten by rats, and I was like, ‘Nope, we are not going there.’”
Bujeaud’s taste can be trusted, and I for one am so grateful she can discern what stories are better left in the past.
Audiences can anticipate stories written by famous figures like “Peter Pan” author J.M. Barrie, ones similar to the “Cremation of Sam McGee,” pieces by authors they might be unfamiliar with, and ghost stories from a range of eras with a range of emotions and endings. Some endings might be sad, but others will be very fun.
“I found one called the ‘Ether Hogs’ with the premise that ghosts are upset because of all the radio waves from World War I keeps messing with them," she said.
Bujeaud continued, “Upset about this, the ghosts go haunt a young gentleman who is working the radio on a ship. The ghost gets sucked in as the young gentleman tries to find a ship he thinks is burning.”
What makes a show like this stand out is the nature of the stories and what that allows the company to do. Theatre attendees are used to sitting through two hour shows, following the same plot, where shows like this offer multiple short stories and keep you on your toes fairly often.
Short stories in nature are packed with lots of things going on quickly, making the passing quick but gripping. Ghost stories are special because of their nostalgic qualities and the magic that happens when you tell a story and bring it back to life.
Reflecting on the experience of creating this show, Bujeaud shared,“I have social anxiety and depression, and this project has given me something creative to pull in and hold onto and share, but it’s the community that I love as much as anything else with the theater.”
I invite you to kindle your hearts this season and dive deep into community and the storytelling traditions that embrace our humanity.
Giving back
TAO has given us a tremendous Christmas present offering a show of this caliber at a pay what you can donation rate. Let’s give back to them!
Currently, TAO is looking for a place they can call home, where they can rehearse, perform, and reliably count on. As Inspire Olympia grantees, their new home must be in Olympia. Do you have space you can offer at a decent, if not entirely generous rate? Contact TAO here.
Theatre is more expensive than people realize, and it takes a village in order to keep art alive. TAO needs that village to sustain and keep making art during these dark times when we need it most. If anything about this story or the upcoming show speaks to you, I invite you to donate here.
https://www.thejoltnews.com/stories/theater-artists-olympia-to-present-yuletide-spirits-for-one-night-only,27317