‘A Haunted Night’ Saturday in Chester

CHESTER — With monsters, madmen, mysticism and magic, the Green Mountain Festival Series will kick off its 25th season in style Saturday with “A Haunted Night.”

For a quarter-century, the series has brought artists, musicians and performers to Chester and has helped Okemo Valley residents escape the doldrums of cabin fever.

“It’s pretty crazy that this series has been going on for 25 years in this small rural community,” said series President Kathleen Willis, noting that all proceeds from the series are used to provide grants to bring artists into area schools.

Saturday’s event will feature a pair of former Chester residents: author and storyteller Joseph A. Citro and magician and musician Scott Morley.

Citro has been a commentator on Vermont Public Radio since 1992 and is the author of 10 books, both fiction and nonfiction, about ghosts, monsters and other oddities in New England. His newest book, “The Vermont Monster Guide,” features illustrations by former “Swamp Thing” artist and current Center for Cartoon Studies teacher Stephen R. Bissette.

“I’m going to talk a little bit about coming from Chester and how my life turned to writing and how Chester influenced my path,” said Citro, who graduated from Chester High School in 1966.

Citro will also discuss things that go bump in the night and send shivers down the spines of Vermonters, and what makes those stories different from accounts of ghosts and monsters from other regions.

“There seems to be a uniformity of monster types across the country, but it’s really the attitudes of Vermonters that make these stories unique,” he said.

Saturday’s show will also feature Scott Morley and his partner Britni Orcutt, who will perform “Houdini: A Tribute to the Master Mystifier.”

Morley, 34, grew up in Chester and Springfield – performing magic at parties and other events — and later moved to New York City to pursue a career as a musician, where he learned to fall back on his childhood hobby.

“It was hard to make a living as a piano player and there was more of a demand in New York City for magicians,” Morley said.

Four years ago, he met his fiancée, Orcutt, and the two began to create longer shows that incorporate music and magic.

Saturday’s show will feature both original and period music — as well as period costumes — as Morley and Orcutt assume the roles of Harry and Bess Houdini and perform magic and famous stunts such as “The Straightjacket Escape.”

“We wanted to give people more than just a historical retrospective,” Morley said. “We want to give people a feeling of what it would be like to see Houdini.”

Saturday’s show begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Green Mountain Union High School auditorium.

Advance tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students and seniors. Tickets are $2 more when purchased at the door. For a list of ticket outlets and more information, visit www.greenmountainfestivalseries.com.

josh.ogorman@rutlandherald.com