WHY IS IAO THEATER SO HISTORIC:
Iao Theater, located on Wailuku’s Market Street is both beautiful and historic. It was first opened in 1928. Designed in a Spanish Mission style (the green tilework that covers the floor of the entryway dates back to its original construction), the theater was one of seven in Wailuku. Sadly over the decades all but one theater in Wailuku remains to this day, Iao Theater.
In 2028 the historic theater will turn 100 years old. In 1994 it received the honor of being listed on the Hawaii State Register of Historic Places. A plaque honoring this distinction is proudly displayed on the facade. You can learn more about it's storied history here. With any structure that has been an integral part of a community for close to a century, there are bound to be some stories and legends attached to it. At Maui Walking Tours, we thought we would probe into the rumors and tales that Iao Theater has a ghost. Our findings will send shivers up your spine.
OUR CONNECTION WITH IAO THEATER:
First off, we want to share our personal connection with Iao Theater. Our owner and founder of Maui Walking Tours (and the person writing this blog post), Keith, was a volunteer usher at the theater for many years. I attended countless performances, seated guests throughout the theater, worked the concessions desk below the stage, scoured through storage rooms and closets for stage props, and have been in the theater long before and after shows when the general public was no longer present. I can say there were definitely a few times where it did feel a little spooky being in such an old building, but I do not have any personal ghost encounters or stories that have happened directly to me. Others however, have some bone-chilling ghost stories.
SyFY CHANNEL INVESTIGATION:
In 2011/2012 the SyFy Channel sent a paranormal investigative team to Iao Theater to conduct a thorough investigation. The findings of this investigation were then televised in an episode of Haunted Collector on the SyFy Channel. The episode was actually aired here on Maui in 2012 for free in Iao Theater for the public to see the findings. I was there for the screening, which was a treat! Here is the original MauiNow article referencing that screening.
The team of paranormal investigators heard stories of actresses in the women’s dressing room hearing unknown voices. The longtime set designer Caro Walker details a first-hand story when she was really scared after a woman called her name from just outside a small room and when Caro walked in the direction of the voice, no one could be found.
There were also strange accounts surrounding an old stage phone (dating back to the 1960s) that links the stage to the production booth. Actors and staff would sometimes report hearing voices and noises coming from the phone, but when someone picked up the phone to talk to the other side, it was confirmed that no conversion or noise had taken place on the other side.
If you would like to watch the airing of this Haunted Collector SyFy episode, you can still stream it on YouTube for $2. We highly encourage it! I have embedded the video below.
The paranormal investigators from the SyFy channel concluded that there is a female entity that resides in Iao Theater, that was most likely an actress or aspiring actress from the 1920s. The below image depicts this ghost, which the theater believes goes by “Emma”.
Maui Walking Tours dove deeper and conducted a phone interview with Michael Pulliam, Iao Theater Stage Manager for many years, to see if he had any personal stories he wished to share. You may want to make sure you turn on the lights before reading this next Iao Theater ghost story!
EYE WITNESS GHOST STORY ABOUT EMMA THE GHOST:
Michael told us he was closing up the theater one night and was standing near the wheelchair seating area of the theater (reference the theater map below). Something caught his eye on the other side of the theater so he turned quickly and saw a smaller woman dressed in a black flapper outfit. She had her hand covering her mouth and appeared to be softly laughing.
Michael froze as he stared in the woman’s direction. The theater was completely closed and he was confident he was the only one left on the grounds. He watched intently as the woman in the black dress turned and began walking up the aisle on the right side of the theater. Her body then dissipated and lifted up in a smoke/fog into the ceiling of the theater.
Michael understands it may be difficult for doubters to believe his story, but reassures that he told the same first-hand account to the Honolulu Star Advertiser when they interviewed him on the unusual/paranormal tales surrounding the Iao Theater. That article can be found here.
ONE MORE IAO THEATER GHOST STORY:
In our research we also spoke with the current box office manager at the Iao Theater. We asked her if she had any personal ghost stories she wanted to share. She didn’t go into specifics but she did mention that the few times she has had the hair on the back of her neck stand up, it was always in the same area of the theater. The seating area directly above the women's bathroom on the right side of the theater, which is the same area Michael saw Emma fade into the ceiling.
MAUI WALKING TOURS CONCLUSION:
From our interviews and findings, it appears that if you want to increase your chances of something strange possibly happening at your next Iao Theater performance, you may want to purchase tickets in the upper section toward the left of the lighting and production box (shown in the red box below).
As we hear more credible first-hand ghost stories from set designers, actors, and staff from the Iao Theater we will continue to update this blog post. Join us on our free historic Wailuku walking tour to discover more stories of Wailuku’s interesting past.
Feel free to leave your own ghost story or unusual encounter at Iao Theater in the comments below!
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