02/23/2026
REVIEW: Phantom Lamp Launches with Winning “Close Quarters”
By Blaine Greenfield, Chief Encouragement Officer, BLAINESWORLD
The inaugural production from Phantom Lamp Theatre Company bursts onto the Asheville scene with confidence, imagination, and just the right touch of delightful chaos. “Close Quarters” is an immersive supernatural dark comedy written by Abby Auman, and it immediately signals that this new company is not here to play it safe.
Auman, a fearless and inventive storyteller, set herself an ambitious task by crafting a Clue-inspired, multi-ending script where the first half carefully plants relationships, secrets, and mythology that can splinter into multiple possible outcomes. The structure is intricate and demanding, yet her voice remains clear. Playful, vulnerable, and gleefully offbeat. This is a writer unafraid to take risks and trust her audience.
The play unfolds in a space where the living and the dead coexist. We first encounter two ghosts navigating their own unresolved entanglements. Aspen, played by Bethan Prescott, and Roomie, portrayed by Stevie Ramirez, anchor the supernatural tone with sharp timing and emotional nuance. Soon the human characters collide with them. Morgan Miller as Parker and Cagney Larkin Poe as Sam bring grounded energy that balances the spectral absurdity.
The ensemble quickly expands with Jamie Knox as Shiri Barbara, Delina Hensley as Reverend Ricky, Elizabeth DeVault as Hot Goth, and Nora Tramm as The UN. This is truly an ensemble piece. No single performer dominates. Each actor fully inhabits their role and contributes to the rhythm of the whole. The cast blends theatre-trained performers and improvisers, and that hybrid skill set shines in a production where flexibility and fearlessness are essential. Every member rises to the challenge.
Director Jason Phillips deserves enormous credit for shepherding this daring concept to the stage. He embraces the show’s tonal tightrope. Heartfelt sincerity colliding with gleeful madness. His staging choices in the intimate Lamplight AVL space are inventive and precise, especially considering that the audience may be seated virtually anywhere in the playing area. It is clear he trusts both his cast and the material, and that confidence pays off.
The behind-the-scenes team provides the invisible scaffolding that keeps the mayhem beautifully controlled. Stage Manager Dana Gillihan, Improv Coach Katie Jones, Production Manager Jess Johnson, Costume Designer Christine Caldemeyer, and Set and Props Designer Amanda Brown combine their talents seamlessly. Their work allows the actors to take risks while ensuring the world of the play feels cohesive and alive.
A word to the wise. There are only 30 seats in this venue. At times, you may be asked to participate unless you choose designated seating. That immersive element is part of the thrill. You are not just watching the story. You are inside it.
Phantom Lamp Theatre Company makes its debut with a production that is daring, collaborative, and refreshingly unpredictable. If this is their opening statement, Asheville theatre lovers have something special to look forward to.
Highly recommended. Just be ready. A ghost might get uncomfortably close.
