Ghost Light: A Memoir

Frank Rich talked about his book, Ghost Light: A Memoir, published by Random House. He explained that the book is a memoir of his boyhood during the 1950s and early 1960s. Feeling unhappy and isolated because of his parents' divorce, the Broadway theater was the one thing that made him happy. Eventually he found a second home as a ticket-taker with the National Theatre in Washington, DC, where he was introduced to a real-life cast of characters who would become his mentors and friends. The title refers to the superstition that if an emptied theater is ever left completely dark, a ghost will take up residence. To prevent this, a single “ghost light” is left burning at center stage after the audience and all of the actors and musicians have gone home. close