Adam Berry gave a talk and hosted a ghost hunt at the Stefanie E. Weill Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, October 17, 2025 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. If you have never had the chance to attend one of Adam’s talks, you are truly missing out. I am always game to listen to Adam tell stories and answer questions about the paranormal. His energy and his personality are welcoming and spirited. I’ve been to about 9 events that Adam has also been at and he is the real deal – a genuine person and a passionate paranormal expert. While Adam always chooses interesting places to host events and frequently attends Amy Bruni’s Strange Escapes events that are also exciting, I’ve likely only crossed paths with Berry so much because his in-laws are local to the Sheboygan area and he loves coming back to this part of Wisconsin. I was thrilled to attend this event with my daughter, who also greatly enjoys Adam’s investigative and speaking styles. Plus she’s a theater stagehand nerd, so investigating a theater was like being home. She felt she could more easily understand, debunk, or validate activity using her theater knowledge. Especially when locating potential electrical or theater equipment interference – her tool of choice is the K2 Meter.
I won’t go into Adam’s presentation. Those are his stories to tell and no one can tell them better than Adam. I will say that one of his new stories (for me) was about a diary that came into his possession and if he doesn’t share that at your presentation, ask him about it. It truly was a story that epitomizes what I’m hoping to do with this site and reflects all of the steps I’ve been going through to try to tell these stories. As I said, I’ve been to nine Adam Berry “events” since 2022 and this was the first time I was hearing this story. It felt meant for me in this moment in my growth and development. Sure, chalk it up to coincidence and right-time-right-place, but I felt the story was a sign to keep going with my work. And Adam told it beautifully and with honor to the spirit involved.
The Weill Center itself has a fascinating history that shines a light on the theater system from classic Hollywood, where studios owned theaters for cinematic distributions. The Stefanie E. Weill Center for the Performing Arts was originally named the Sheboygan Theater and opened in 1928. The theater was originally part of the Universal Pictures Corporation and was part of the Milwaukee Theater Circuit – Sheboygan only being about an hour drive away nowadays. The Sheboygan Theater fed the entertainment needs of the area well, with film screenings and live performances by some of the greats, such as Abbot and Costello, the Marx Brothers, and Duke Ellington, among others.
The Sheboygan Theater changed hands several times until it found itself under the care of the Weill Center Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation, which owns and runs the facility today. The theater was purchased by Warner Bros. in the 1930s and was later purchased in 1966 by the popular theater chain Marcus Theaters Management Company. Marcus Theaters, in 1980, bisected the theater and made it a two screen facility. A subtle name change to Plaza 8 was made and stayed with the theater until Marcus abandoned it in 1992 for a newer, flashier multiplex.
In 1996, after being acquired by the Weill Center Foundation, Inc., an ambitious 5-year renovation would commence. More information can be found on the intimate details of the renovation here. It did include the removal of the twin movie theater walls and dealing with the more than 225 supporting cables and cable holes in the main roof beams. If you enter the theatre now, you will see stars in the ceiling where the holes had been cut.
In 2001, after voting on the name and applying for National, State, and City Registers, the Stefanie E. Weill Center for the Performing Arts celebrated their second grand opening.
If you would like to learn more about the Weill Center, the website has a great historical timeline and other interesting information. I recommend taking a look so that you can form your own vision of this historically relevant and visually stunning look into the past.
So who was Stefanie H. Weill? In 1941, Stefanie and John Weill immigrated through New York City from Vienna, Austria. Mr. Weill worked in management of the American Chair Company, which was a major manufacturer in Port Washington, Wisconsin from around 1888 until 1954, when it closed. He rose to be president and part of the Board for the parent company, Thonet Industries, in New York. He retired from these positions in 1966 and passed away a year later, in 1967.
Stefanie Weill, like many women in her position of privilege during this time, took part in many charitable and civic organizations. She sought to serve her community, especially when it came to bringing art, in all its forms, to the people. A Charitable Trust was founded in her husband’s name in 1969 and the goal was “to raise and invest funds and support charitable, educational, literary, and scientific causes.” Stefanie Weill passed on in 1985, but the charity she created lives on in this incredible theater. If you would like to learn more about Stefanie and John Weill, the Mead Library in Sheboygan, Wisconsin has documents on their lives and contributions to the community.
As you can see, there is so much history here and so much love has gone into the Sheboygan Theater over the years – whether it be by employees or passionate volunteers – it is no surprise that there are spirits connecting with the physical space of this landmark. And, as it was revealed to me during the hunt, renovations are ongoing, which could be stirring up new and interesting activity in this bordering-on-centennial structure.
So let me break down the spirits my daughter and I encountered during our time at the Weill. Our night started out on the stage and various pieces of equipment were put out around the area. My daughter was using her K2 Meter and I put out my small Mini Para-Light EMF Detector. Adam started out with the EMF Trip Wires along the front of the stage and a few other pieces of interactive equipment. I also ran my recorder in the hopes of picking up audible phenomena and as a reference to any potential equipment interactions the group might have.
Luckily, we did have an interaction that the recorder did catch, but it is so faint, you can barely hear it. I’ve attached the clip here so that you can download it and listen for yourself. Maybe you can clean it up so it can be heard better. I have no idea who or what made the sound, but the entire group heard it in the moment and it was startling at the time. Leave a comment on what you think you heard.
Raw Audio File – Via GoogleDrive
Amplified Audio File – Via GoogleDrive
Beyond the noise that left attendees split on what they heard, there were a number of interactions with the resident spirits. I’ve opted to break them down into groups instead of detailing a night of interactions with the devices. I also have information that I gathered from the spirits while interacting with them, but as I am a Medium, I can only validate what I learned with my own good word. It would be great to follow-up with the spirits on some of this information at another time.
George – An Old Projectionist/Stagehand
The origin of this spirit, from what resources I was able to dig up, is that he was a projectionist for the theater when alive. According to an interview with TMJ4 (a local news network), Executive Director Katy Glodosky had snapped a picture of a light in the projection booth and further investigation, most notably with Adam Berry, revealed his name to be George. An unnamed Weill Staff Member, helped me out with a little background on George. George is the name of an old stagehand, who primarily helped with the spotlights. It remains unclear as to whether he was employed by the Sheboygan Theater, but instead volunteered occasionally. The connection to this George was made when his granddaughter brought in his “wedding photos and the music box equipment” and there were some interactions with those trigger objects. Cindy, though, had never met him before his passing. The unnamed Weill Staff Member believes he was part of the Warner Brothers era of the theater. It is unclear, though, why he was labeled a projectionist or maybe it was just because he was seen in the projection booth, which also might have been where certain spotlights were handled, according to my daughter – a veteran on the topic of theater spotlights.
George, though, was the spirit that everyone who had been to the Weill investigation last year latched onto during this investigation and in a very familiar way. He has made his home at the Weill and is seen, by some, as a caretaker. I, myself, sensed that George cares very much for the theater and wants to see it maintained and kept safe.
A line of questioning that became pivotal during our group investigation centered on George and the other spirits feeling comfortable with the renovations taking place in the theater. Towards the end of the first part of the evening, George became frustrated when asked about how he feels about the renovations. I strongly felt this frustration, which was also represented in the sporadic and inconsistent interactions with equipment. As I reached out to George, it became clear to me why the subject was causing him some distress. Even when George answers or thinks he is providing information to people who are asking, he doesn’t feel heard about the situation. He actually does have input into the renovations he feels is valuable but does not feel capable of communicating that via the limitations of the equipment being presented to him. He feels helpless in times when he feels he could be a great asset to a situation.
George did set off several pieces of equipment at the end of the first part of the night which he felt was the indication he was capable of giving in order to end the conversation. I didn’t sense George for the rest of the night, but I felt that the reassurances given by our host and that was reiterated by staff – that the theater will be respected and taken care of – will maybe help him feel confident in the changes occurring around him.
Clara – A Young Girl
Clara is a young girl who has taken up residence at the theater. There aren’t any historical records attested to be about her at the moment, but a known anecdote from the theater involves a visiting little girl who did say she was playing with another little girl at the theater – obviously there was no other living child to be found in the building at the time. I can picture Clara in my mind, but I can’t pinpoint her age. I wasn’t able to directly ask her for more information because so much was going on in the group investigation and it was difficult to personalize my own queries (especially since others already made it clear through their line of questioning that they had solid information on her). I was only really able to gather information in the form of sideways asking (in my mind or in whispers), but I was able to grasp at an age between 8 and 10. My mind rejects anything beyond those lower and upper thresholds and I trust that intuition. Her age might not actually be set in stone because I strongly felt that she did not pass away as a child, but rather chooses to present as an age in which she experienced great joy. I also don’t get the impression Clara “belongs” to the theater in the same way that George does, but that she is there because of memories of that theater that make her happy. All of these details I would love to pursue with her in a future encounter if I ever have one.
Within the larger investigation and equipment interactions, Clara stayed on the fringe of things. I could sense her walking around the back of the stage area and sometimes popping to the front of the stage. But Clara found me and my daughter on the back fringe of the group. If you’ve investigated with me in large groups, you’ll know that I have a tendency to stay a little bit more on the fringe. It helps dampen how overwhelmed I can feel from the crowd and allows me to interact and sometimes even bring forward spirits who are hesitant or just curious. That isn’t all the time, but my self-displacement from the larger group is often for my own benefit.
I knew Clara found me at the back, because she set off my little lantern that I had nearby. I also felt her little energy burst, triggering my ghost fuzzies. The group did comment on the lantern going off and there was a mild frenzy of eagerness over the moment. Clara also was setting off my daughter’s K2 meter in answer to some of the questions, but her responses were a bit difficult to track, because my daughter was having some struggles of her own at the time with regards to her nervous energy.
After the group established that it was my lantern that went off by means of “a spirit” and my daughter and I exchanged a quick “That’s her,” Adam began asking questions about the little girl (all caught on audio). He talked about how she was a little timid last time and encouraged her to come forward. It was one of those synchronistic moments where you know you weren’t the only one feeling her presence.
We did have a break at one juncture and I snuck into a private corner and pulled out my dousing rods. I spoke with Clara a little, confirming that she was with me and that her name is Clara. I also confirmed something that I’ll discuss further down, but Clara is not alone at the theater. She shared with me that she could come forward and interact and then we were interrupted by break time being over and I went to rejoin the group.
In the balcony, Clara did try to interact with questions and even answered one of the first questions, but everything was somehow derailed by The Asshole (see below). She tried to push through a few times to give genuine answers and interact with people, but The Asshole was just too strong and she gave up.
As for the question of the night, Clara doesn’t have an opinion on the remodel. She does find it fascinating to watch and behold, but is neither concerned or overjoyed. Just intrigued.
Clara’s Friend – A Young Boy
I don’t have much information on this spirit. If I thought Clara was removed, this young boy was practically plastered to the walls. He does not interact with people and only plays with Clara. He might participate in Clara’s activities that interact with the living, but is more, at this time, someone who would not interact with equipment. He was always on my periphery, so it was difficult to really gather a picture, but he is present. He simply does not desire interaction.
Shadow Figure Door-Peepers
This encounter started at the beginning of our night while we were all sitting on the stage looking out into the house. At the back of the theater many of the members of the group, my daughter and Adam included, saw shadow forms leaning into the doorways at the back of the theater or one even crossing in front of the whole open space. It was clear that these entities were just curious. The construction has stirred up some interest on the other side and, as with all change, there are looky-loos. They popped in to see us and just kept moving around, curious about the people and the lights and what it all means. They only wanted to spectate.
A side note to this – I always think of Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas series when I think of “spectator spirits” or “tourist spirits.” I don’t automatically believe the whole premise of it only happening when “bad things” are going to happen, but I have encountered several spirits who have explained to me, in an evidential way, that they are tourists of the living. A fascinating idea I have been very interested in exploring.
The Asshole – The Smoking Man in the Brown Suit
My apologies if this name is offensive to you or anyone this spirit may be related to, but this was the first word that came to mind when he made himself known to our group. I sat with this information and title for a very long time. This person is not unknown at the theater. He is also not egregiously malicious. Think of that asshole at a bar who just kind of pushes people’s buttons. And there it is… that’s what he did the whole night. He kept ”pushing people’s buttons.” The dead bell kept going off for any question to anything over and over and over again. This activity started downstairs on the stage towards the end of the first part of the investigation, but carried over into the balcony and then into the bar area. He was just “being the Asshole.” It is just kind of who he is and what he does. But, again, I detected no malevolence or harmful energy. I feel like all of us have a person somewhere in our life that we would label “The Asshole” and this is that guy. Always quipping jackass responses, etc. But then if you try to point out he’s being mean or hurtful, he’ll feign it just being a joke. When I sat with this information, it just made so much sense and that’s the energy I got. It’s the energy my daughter picked up on, too. And when her and I shared our experiences, putting things into words, the entirety of this person came into focus.
People at the theater will know him for creating the smell of smoke. He’s the one who was in the smoking area in the theater, but he moves freely throughout the rest of the building. If things tip over or fall off something mysteriously, it is a safe bet this spirit is the culprit. I wanted to get a name for him, but his behavior made it difficult to access that kind of information (the ringing of the bell). His reason for being at the theater is something akin to this place being where he felt the “coolest” – just hanging out. I keep seeing the color brown associated with him. Like he has on a suit from the 1950s-1960s, I think. I’m not an expert on men’s fashion. When I researched it, this image pinged on me the hardest and summed him up perfectly, but it also seems like a timeless style. The site said it was from the 1960s and when I asked the unnamed Weill Staff Member about the smoking area, she said it was around during the 1960s/1970s. I received that information after doing my own research, so to learn the years as they relate to the smoking room at the back of the theater was very validating to me.
All things considered, I was struck with the understanding that he could be motivated to be serious and interact, but it would take time and the building of trust.
I would love to return to the Weill Center and I recommend anyone becoming a patron, whether for paranormal activities or the amazing line up of entertainment they provide. My daughter was impressed with the theater and the starry ceiling and the theater itself felt like home. If you do go for the spirits, though, remember that there’s more than just these names inhabiting the building.
For more information on the Weill Center and some of my own resources, check out these interviews and references:
The Stefanie E. Weill Center for the Performing Arts
TMJ4 – Staff at nearly century-old theater in Sheboygan say they have a ghost
Whispers of the Departed 
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