Danner’s Manners ~Paranormal possibilities at the Shawnee Theatre

Saturday evening, I was invited by Jack Terrell of the Shawnee Theatre Board of Directors to participate in a paranormal investigation at the theater. Eager to take part in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I accepted, bringing my staff writer, Madison Smith, along as a plus-one and as insurance I wouldn’t be alone in case something freaky happened.

The Shawnee held a very well-attended event that night, a parking-lot trunk or treat and a free showing of 1984’s Ghostbusters.

The crowd packed the theater, shouting out “GHOSTBUSTERS!” in response to the theme song’s question: Who ya gonna call?

After the movie, which Madison had never seen, being the fetus that she is, We munched on popcorn, candy and soda, all courtesy of the Shawnee.

After the movie, the audience met four of the members of the Kool Kids Supernatural Sleuths, who were there to conduct an after-hours paranormal investigation in search of any spirits the Shawnee might be home to.

The group, leader Robin Kirk-Hotz and members Jamie Haney, Jody Hess and Hess’ daughter, Shelby Fark, took questions from the audience after explaining what they do during investigations and talked about some of the many places they have investigated over the last 10 years. They also explained the function of each piece of equipment they brought along, including special video cameras, infrared cameras, heat sensors, sensitive recording devices to detect EVPs, or electronic voice phenomenons and a device called a K2 meter, which detects spikes in electromagnetic energy. These spikes are signaled by lights and sound which are activated by them, signifying possible activity or communication from spirits.

Photo by Patti Danner Kool Kids Supernatural Sleuths members Jamie Haney, left, and Robin Kirk-Hotz prepare for the investigation.

After this, the audience went about their merry way, heading home to various parts of Greene County, but we, meaning the ghosthunters, us two intrepid journalists and a reluctant and adorable board member named Candice Walker (she must have drawn the short straw, because she was not terribly enthusiastic about staying but a board member had to be there. I think she was kind of a fraidy-cat, but her presence is really what made the events which followed even more mind-blowing. Keep reading.)

So, finally, we were alone with the Sleuths in the creepy (well, it IS) Shawnee. As a group, we toured the stage area, backstage, costume room, extra-creepy darkened rooms used as overflow apartments for cast during the summer season, the lobby and lighting booth.

At one point, Robin headed up alone to the lobby to make some recordings with an EVP recorder. She had mentioned getting the most interesting sounds during recordings like these, such as you see on most ghost-hunting shows. She came back from her jaunt and had us listen to a bit of what she recorded. In one segment, clear as day, a very brief voice can be heard saying “hi”. Nothing else, just a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it voice. But I didn’t miss it, I heard that stuff with my very own ears.

Kirk-Hotz, left, and Haney show a couple of interested audience members footage from a previous investigation.

We continued to roam around and we all gathered on or near the Shawnee stage to watch Kirk-Hotz and another investigator try to make contact with spirits using dowsing rods. Dowsing rods are a set of two “L”-shaped rods, generally made from copper, which can facilitate communication with the spirit world by indicating, after a question is posed, a yes or no answer by changing the position at which they stop moving. In Kirk-Hotz’ demonstration, crossed rods indicated yes and spread-apart rods indicated no.

From this session, it was determined we had at least three spirits present at the Shawnee that evening, at least one of which was female and another was a Shawnee Native American. This one was either shy or perhaps resentful of white people, because it stopped talking shortly thereafter.

Kirk-Hotz invited Walker over to try the rods, after it was determined she knew a person or persons who was affiliated with the Shawnee and was no longer alive. One such person was a gentleman named Robert Rehner, who painted the Shawnee murals and passed away last October 6, but he wasn’t talking. Another, who made her presence known while Walker held the rods, was longtime Shawnee volunteer (for 50 years) seamstress Joan Baumann. Baumann passed in 2016, and had had a mentor-mentee relationship of sorts with Walker, teaching her to read the markings on a pattern and leaving her prized sewing machines to the Shawnee when she passed, where they remain today.

The seven of us listened as Walker spoke of Baumann, her memories including the fact that Baumann had, for many years, reserved seat A12, front row center, for herself at every opening night show.

Shawnee Board President Jack Terrell, left, speaks with the sleuths prior to the investigation. Kool Kids from left, Jody Hess, Shelby Fark, Jamie Haney and Robin Kirk-Hotz.

As Walker recounted the tale, she began counting the seats in the front row. Stopping at seat A12, we noticed one of the sleuths was sitting there. She jumped up quickly and said, “No wonder I was feeling so weird in that seat. My legs felt tingly and heavy.”

The sleuths placed their K-2 meter into the cupholder of the seat and, no more than a minute later, it lit up and played music.

We were all surprised, and for a few moments all was silent. Walker then recounted a few more stories about Baumann, including that she had lived in the high-rise in Bloomfield. During Walker’s stories, the K-2 meter lit up twice more. Convinced it was her friend Baumann, Walker declared herself done for the evening and we called it a night. When we left, the sleuths were readying to turn the lights back out and investigate the lobby. We figured they didn’t need our help.

Was the spirit of Joan Baumann present with us? I simply don’t know for sure. But did that K-2 meter, silent all evening, light up three times as we spoke of her? It did, I was there. Draw your own conclusion.

Patti is the editor of the Greene County Daily World. She loves kitty-cats, chocolate anything and watching X-Files or the Walking Dead. If you would like to share a story (or some chocolate) or just make a friend, she can be reached at pdanner@gcdailyworld.com.