WAYNESBORO, VA (Rocktown Now) — The Wayne Theatre will premiere The Woman in Black: An Immersive Experience: The Wayne at Wellington on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at The Barn at Wellington, 18 Hannah Circle, Waynesboro, VA 22980.

Jake Krug, who plays the character “The Actor”, said it’s one of the best ghost stories ever told.

“We’re doing this around Halloween. This could take place at any time, like in the actual show it takes place around Christmastime,” said Krug. “But it’s really such a solid ghost story that doesn’t rely on jump scares. Although people come out of this with those frights, it is a ghost story that kind of has a message.”

According to their website, the production follows a lawyer, Arthur Kipps who enlists an actor to help him recount events that began at the funeral of an elderly recluse. A spectral figure, known locally as the Woman in Black, is said to “bring terror to all who see her.” The audience will sit within the world of the play as the two men recreate the night.

Krug as “The Actor” plays a total of 7 characters while going through the details of that night. Some include a wealthy landowner, the landlord of a hotel and a clerk in London

“My role is to inhabit the personalities, the lives of those people that he [Kipps] interacted with, during these things that happened to him,” said Krug. “There’s just so many different elements. And it’s interesting playing this kind of role as a chameleon.

Robert Gotschall is the second of this two-man production playing an actor hired by Krug’s character as a young Arthur Kipps to replay the events of that night.

Robert Gotschall (left) and Jake Krug (right) | Photo source: Julia Weaver Photography

“He is the young actor who plays Arthur Kipps as a young man. So, the real Kipps played by Jake, and then I’m playing the actor that portrays him in the play within the play,” said Gotschall. “So, there’s a kind of a dual layered approach to the story.”

The show uses the Chekhov technique, which is a style of acting that uses an actor’s imagination. Krug said the director, Kelsey Harrison, is trained in the technique and is directing the play as part of certification.

“Throughout this whole thing, Kelsey has been so good about helping us understand how we can use our imagination as tools, using all kinds of different techniques, tools,” said Krug. “And it’s changed how I think of acting, but not just acting, interacting in life. How we play with each other, how we speak in public. It’s been great to do as a show, but it’s like a long masterclass at the same time.”

Gotschall, who has had experience with immersive shows, said he learned more ways to connect with the audience in this production.

“There’s not really much direct address in the show, but there is a lot of directly affecting the audience,” said Gotschall. “I love learning the ways that I can change affect an audience who I may not, I’m not directly speaking to, but I am kind of bringing into the process with me. There’s a lot of opportunities for my character.”

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit The Woman in Black: An Immersive Experience: The Wayne at Wellington – Wayne Theatre | Waynesboro, VA.