The Invisible Man

When six college girls take over the Rainbow Lodge, an isolated hotel in the Colorado wilderness, things begin to happen. They are warned to stay away, but, being young, they don't listen to the advice—they should have. Indications are that a previous owner stashed a sack of gold somewhere in the hotel. The search for the "pot of gold at the end of the Rainbow" results in mystery, murder and mirth. In the middle of it all is an invisible man with a weird sense of humor ... or is he really invisible? In the 1933 movie starring Claude Rains, the Invisible Man wore bandages, and as he unwound the bandages, he disappeared. The unwrapping was a sensational special effect, and people flocked to the cinema to see it. In live theatre, this action can be mimicked with an effect such as a flight by a visible character with his voice moving around the stage. Production notes in the script give specific suggestions for handling these effects and others. The actions of the invisible man can be so realistic that the audience will almost believe he is really on stage. Premiered by a community theatre, the play is also suitable for colleges and high schools—and all groups who like to mystify and thrill their audiences.