Arts & Entertainment
Typing and telepathy
Charming drama poses death as mere inconvenience


From left, Susan Lynskey, Helen Hedman and Paul Morella in ‘Ghost-Writer.’ (Photos by Christopher Banks; courtesy MetroStage)
‘Ghost-Writer’
Through June 16
MetroStage
1201 North Royal Street Alexandria
$45-$55
800-494-8497
metrostage.org
It’s not every day that a respectable secretary with a talent for punctuation becomes fodder for New York City’s tabloid press, but in Michael Hollinger’s 2010 drama “Ghost-Writer” (now at MetroStage) that’s just what happens.
When popular novelist Franklin Woolsey (Paul Morella) drops dead in the middle of dictating his latest book, loyal typist Myra Babbage (Susan Lynskey) forges ahead, channeling her beloved boss’ words from the beyond. While Myra’s unorthodox approach to wrapping things up is a hit with Woolsey’s editor and the curious public, the novelist’s jealous widow is none too thrilled.
Set in 1919 Manhattan, the odd workplace tale unfolds in Woolsey’s comfortable but unpretentious studio. Myra is seated at her typing table facing an unseen investigator (the audience). In wordy monologue and flashbacks she relays just how she came to be a literary medium.
Fresh out of secretarial school, Myra’s hired to take dictation from the businesslike Woolsey. A whiz at the clunky manual typing machine, she never misses a word. As weeks become months and then years, she respectfully but firmly corrects his punctuation and eerily develops the ability to anticipate his prose. The process moves to the outskirts of collaboration, and a close but chaste relationship evolves. There is no longer any mention of Thursday night dance classes or potential husbands. As Myra becomes more heavily immersed in Woolsey and his work, outside distractions fade away. Her focus narrows.
Occasionally the formidable and fashionably turned out Mrs. Woolsey (Helen Hedman) pays unannounced visits to her husband’s studio. A dilettante poet who once transcribed her husband’s novels by hand, she resents her husband’s secretary. After all it is Myra with whom Woolsey spends the lion’s share of his waking hours. And while she finds some comfort that Myra is less pretty than her predecessor, Mrs. Woolsey would still rather she go away. But Myra isn’t cowed; the studio is her domain and Woolsey belongs partly to her too.
“Ghost-Writer” is cleanly staged by John Vreeke (who is gay). In lesser hands, this delicately rendered memory play/ghostly mystery/love story might be a sappy mishmash, but Vreeke’s direction is insightfully keen and well-ordered and his outstanding three-person cast gives thoughtful, restrained performances. He’s also assembled a particularly cohesive design team. Together Alexander Keen’s evocative lighting, Jane Fink’s suggestion of walls and Robert Garner’s distant dance class music and steam whistle from the East river, play beautifully to the concepts of memory and the metaphysical.
At first glance, Lynskey’s Myra is the picture of no-nonsense practicality — pulled back hair and plain attire. But keep looking and you’ll detect a sly smile and twinkly eye behind the steel-rimmed spectacles; her character is no mere typing automaton. Her Myra has an inner world filled with romance and the flourishes of art and music. For her, awaiting Woolsey’s next utterance is an exquisite pleasure. Typing each page is an adventure. Lynskey captures all the layers.
Morella is terrific as Woolsey. He affectively melts from brusque boss to kindly colleague. And as Mrs. Woolsey, Hedman is a marvelous balance of overbearing and vulnerable. It’s a touching performance.
“Ghost Writer” is inspired by the real life happenings of famed gay novelist Henry James and his longtime secretary Theodora Bosanquet. Like Myra, the devoted Bosanquet did what she could to keep the literary master’s words flowing. Unlike Myra, she didn’t hold a torch for her boss. Bosanquet reportedly preferred women.

The 2025 Baltimore Pride Parade was held on Saturday, June 14.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)








































































You’ve done your share of marching.
You’re determined to wring every rainbow-hued thing out of this month. The last of the parties hasn’t arrived yet, neither have the biggest celebrations and you’re primed but – OK, you need a minute. So pull up a chair, take a deep breath, and read these great books on gay history, movies, and more.
You probably don’t need to be told that harassment and discrimination was a daily occurrence for gay people in the past (as now!), but “American Scare: Florida’s Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives” by Robert W. Fieseler (Dutton, $34) tells a story that runs deeper than you may know. Here, you’ll read a historical expose with documented, newly released evidence of a systemic effort to ruin the lives of two groups of people that were perceived as a threat to a legislature full of white men.
Prepared to be shocked, that’s all you need to know.
You’ll also want to read the story inside “The Many Passions of Michael Hardwick: Sex and the Supreme Court in the Age of AIDS” by Martin Padgett (W.W. Norton & Company, $31.99), which sounds like a novel, but it’s not. It’s the story of one man’s fight for a basic right as the AIDS crisis swirls in and out of American gay life and law. Hint: this book isn’t just old history, and it’s not just for gay men.
Maybe you’re ready for some fun and who doesn’t like a movie? You know you do, so you’ll want “Sick and Dirty: Hollywood’s Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queerness” by Michael Koresky (Bloomsbury, $29.99). It’s a great look at the Hays Code and what it allowed audiences to see, but it’s also about the classics that sneaked beneath the code. There are actors, of course, in here, but also directors, writers, and other Hollywood characters you may recognize. Grab the popcorn and settle in.
If you have kids in your life, they’ll want to know more about Pride and you’ll want to look for “Pride: Celebrations & Festivals” by Eric Huang, illustrated by Amy Phelps (Quarto, $14.99), a story of inclusion that ends in a nice fat section of history and explanation, great for kids ages seven-to-fourteen. Also find “Are You a Friend of Dorothy? The True Story of an Imaginary Woman and the Real People She Helped Shape” by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Levi Hastings (Simon & Schuster, $19.99), a lively book about a not-often-told secret for kids ages six-to-ten; and “Papa’s Coming Home” by Chasten Buttigieg, illustrated by Dan Taylor (Philomel, $19.99), a sweet family tale for kids ages three-to-five.
Finally, here’s a tween book that you can enjoy, too: “Queer Heroes” by Arabelle Sicardi, illustrated by Sarah Tanat-Jones (Wide Eyed, $14.99), a series of quick-to-read biographies of people you should know about.
Want more Pride books? Then ask your favorite bookseller or librarian for more, because there are so many more things to read. Really, the possibilities are almost endless, so march on in.
Music & Concerts
Indigo Girls coming to Capital One Hall
Stars take center stage alongside Fairfax Symphony

Capital One Center will host “The Indigo Girls with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra” on Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20 at 8 p.m. at Capital One Hall.
The Grammy Award-winning folk and pop stars will take center stage alongside the Fairfax Symphony, conducted by Jason Seber. The concerts feature orchestrations of iconic hits such as “Power of Two,” “Get Out The Map,” “Least Complicated,” “Ghost,” “Kid Fears,” “Galileo,” “Closer to Fine,” and many more.
Tickets are available on Ticketmaster or in person at Capital One Hall the nights of the concerts.