McKendree University Students to Perform "Ghosts in the Machine" Nov. 7-9

by Tina Napper

Lebanon, IL (10/30/2025) — McKendree University students will be performing Ghosts in the Machine, a digital mystery for the mind and heart of the savvy texter. The curtain will rise for three performances from Friday, Nov. 7 through Sunday, Nov. 9. The Friday and Saturday performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. Sunday's matinee begins at 2:30 p.m.

General admission tickets are priced at $5, and reservations are recommended. Admission is free for McKendree students, faculty, and staff. Please contact the Hett box office at (618) 537-6863 to reserve seats or purchase them online at the Hett's website.

Written by Eric Coble, the play begins after lunch on Melissa's phone. Someone she doesn't know is texting her. Soon, eight very different high school students are getting bizarre texts from numbers they don't recognize - budding romances, bitter rivalries, even violent threats. What's going on? And what if it's not people connecting with other people via their phones - but phones trying to connect with other phones via their people?

Cast members include: Eli Franklin of Collinsville, Ill., as Pels; Brenden Meyer of Granite City, Ill., as Shawn; Denaysha Jackson of Springfield, Ill., as Zelda; Myles McGee of Belleville, Ill., as Taylor; Elianna Gray of Swansea, Ill., as Cherisse; Gabriella Heinrich of Pana, Ill., as Melissa; Zach Roeck of Collinsville, Ill., as Anthony; and Bryce Stanley of Salem, Ill., as Cody. Members of the crew include Marin Jalinsky of Collinsville, Ill., as the lights designer; Sidney Williams of Jerseyville, Ill., as the projections and sound effects designer; Lauren Magnussen of Lebanon, Ill., as the deck manager; and Hayden Langley of Robinson, Ill., as the stage crew.

Denaysha

Jackson