ORLANDO —  You’re sitting in a spacious theater. It’s well lit as you walk in and find a seat. The performer, Paul Strickland, strolls onto the stage and starts chatting with the audience before the show starts.

And then … the theater plunges into total darkness.

There is Mr. Strickland, of course, and he has sound effects, and some special lighting at unique moments, but you’re still surrounded by complete blackness. The bare stage and stillness in that theater couldn’t possibly be more ideal for Strickland’s one-man show, called simply Ghost Stories.

Strickland, a popular storyteller and comedian, here puts on his more “serious” cap, as he recounts some ghost stories he learned as a boy growing up near Kentucky. Happily, each one seems a little bit more twisted, and eerie, than the one before it. Now being performed at the Orlando Fringe Festival, Ghost Stories: Paul Strickland is for those who enjoy the menacing pleasure of hearing a talented storyteller turn to a subject we all know and love …

Ghosts.

What is Ghost Stories: Paul Strickland?

In pitch darkness, you can let your imagination wander a bit. Because as you listen to our master storyteller, the images start to creep up on you….

A strange reptilian creature at a pond near a church …
The legend of a ghost that keeps precious hold of its prized silver dollar …
A sadistic man who whips his aging horses, until a strange new horse 🐴 arrives …
A man who has visions of a dog 🐕 that visits his home late at night …

Those last two stories in particular managed to accomplish exactly what Strickland wanted: to generate tension, then anxiety, then fear.
When I saw the poster for Ghost Stories on the campus of the Fringe Festival, this one man show created by Strickland caught my eye. I instantly knew it was for me and dashed to get a ticket. My instincts didn’t fail me.
Strickland knows how to take his time building up a truly effective ghost story. He employs humor, folksiness, clever quips, some interaction with the audience — in effect, maybe sending a signal that Hey folks, this won’t be too scary. Trust me (wide grin).

And you know he’s grinning for a reason. The sly cat eases us through situations that seem odd, but still possibly plausible … until they become far more disturbing.

And just as each ghost stories ends with the Slam! moment, Strickland has that down pat as well, in a startling delivery that gets us each time.

A smart and enthusiastic storyteller of the creepy and macabre, I was particularly impressed with the show since I’m fascinated by “Fear Theater”: lacking the glossy special effects so readily available in movies, horror theater relies heavily on the audience using their imagination. Strickland’s captivating stories – particularly the dog and pony tales – put that cold hand on the back of your neck in that total darkness.

He reels you right in, like a fish that nibbled on the hook.

If you’re planning to visit the Orlando Fringe Festival, check out Ghost Stories. It’s a one man show that proves frighteningly irresistible.

Where is Ghost Stories Being Performed at Fringe?

Ghost Stories: Paul Strickland will be performed at the Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival 2025 in the Peach Venue at Orlando Family Stage, 1001 E. Princeton St., in Loch Haven Park. Tickets for this show are $15.

The show is one hour long and is suitable for ages 13 and up. Upcoming performances are on:

• Wednesday, May 21 at 6:20 p.m.
• Saturday, May 24 at 4:40 p.m.
• Sunday, May 25 at 8:50 p.m.

A $10 Fringe button is needed to gain admission to the shows.

To learn more, log on to Paul Strickland Storyteller, and to purchase tickets in advance, visit the Orlando Fringe website.

Michael Freeman is an Orlando journalist, playwright and author of the terrifying book “Bloody Rabbit”. Contact him at Freelineorlando@gmail.com.

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