Dreams can take many forms, and manifest in a variety of ways. Some people want to play in the NHL, while others want to see their first release on the shelves of their favourite bookstore. For Robert Laliberte, his dream was to be a stage actor and run his own venue in Winnipeg.

He just didn’t plan on a ghost being part of the equation.

That’s the core of the story that plays out in David Jón Fuller’s debut book, Venue 13: A Novel in Five Acts, a narrative complete with stage directions to punctuate the action. 

A veteran of Winnipeg’s robust theatre scene going back to 1991, Fuller is particularly well suited to tell a story like this. “I would say my Fringe experience, both as a star-struck theatregoer right out of high school, as well as an actor struggling to write and perform in shows or get cast in Fringe plays, had a huge impact on me, both as a performer and as a writer.” 

But the impact of the live theatre on this novel, and Fuller’s life, goes beyond that, giving him valuable insights into human nature. “You see the best and the worst of people,” he says. “You form tight bonds, and you have to trust your fellow actors, night after night. All of that went into Venue 13.”

His main character, Robert, is on a mission to transition from working as an actor and restaurant server to owning and operating a bring-your-own-venue space. 

“He wants to give performers who didn’t make it into the regular Summer Theatre Festival (a.k.a. Skeeter Fest) venues a shot at success – and the roar of the crowd,” says Fuller. One of these performers includes Robert’s ex-girlfriend, which raises the stakes a bit, making him extra keen to prove himself.

Unfortunately, Robert has to contend with an unruly ghost named Henry, who haunts the space and who has his own motives. “Henry wants to be free, but isn’t sure how to achieve that,” explains Fuller. “He thinks he knows – by forcing the building to fall into such a state of disrepair it will be torn down.”

The last thing a neophyte theatre owner needs is a phantasm of some kind trying to bring the building down around him.

Fuller’s years of experience in and around the Winnipeg theatre scene have naturally formed the basis for the world he has created. 

That being said, the key locations and people in the book are all fictional, though he worked quite hard to represent the real Winnipeg in a positive light, which shines through in, for example, the portrayals of the heritage buildings and the lively restaurant scene.

The bigger concern is whether Fuller has had any paranormal experiences of his own inside a Winnipeg theatre.

“Yes, my experiences as an actor definitely inform the story, and Robert’s love of theatre,” he says. 

“But I can’t say I have actually experienced a haunting or a ghost sighting. Some actors I have worked with, though, have, so you never know …”