A month of Halloween for EP student actor in Stages Theatre’s ‘Spookley’

If pumpkins are the classic symbol of Halloween, Eden Prairie High School sophomore Ella Schumacher is more than ready for the holiday.

On Oct. 29, Schumacher wrapped up a four-week, 37-show run playing a pumpkin called Hay in Stages Theatre Company’s production of “Spookley the Square Pumpkin.”

The musical is based on the film “Spookley the Square Pumpkin” by Joe Troiano and Tom Hughes and Troiano’s book “The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin.”

Schumacher first saw the production in 2017 as a fourth grader. Now, as a 10th grader, she’s moved from the audience to the cast.

She said a highlight of her experience was getting to meet Troiano, who flew in from New York to see the production in Hopkins. She and her castmates also got to be part of the first table read of Troiano’s upcoming stage production, “Spookley and the Christmas Kittens.”

Now that Oct. 31 has actually arrived, Schumacher said, “Being in ‘Spookley’ has made it feel like it’s Halloween every day. So today it feels extra special.”