Ghost-Writer’ takes dictation from beyond the grave

• Theatre in the Square
• NO, I LOVE IT WHEN PEOPLE READ OVER MY SHOULDER: Peter Tamm and Elisa Carlson

Theatre in the Square’s Ghost-Writer takes place in a New York City office in 1919, a room that resembles Geoffrey Rush’s office in The King’s Speech. A window looks out over a massive bridge and a Victrola sits in corner, but a hefty manual typewriter commands our attention. One imagines young audiences taking a look and wondering, “Where’s the monitor for that computer?”

The employment of the typewriter and even the rhythmic sounds of the keys striking paper proves central to Ghost-Writer, a romance with a supernatural twist. Myra Babbage (Elisa Carlson) excels in the recently established career of professional typist and narrates the play by addressing the audience as if we’re a guest in the office following her employer’s demise. Directed by Jessica Phelps West, Ghost-Writer proves to be a witty and affecting story of love and art, once the play cuts through the preliminaries.