‘Ghosts’ cast connects with characters’ histories at Library of Congress

Actors from the CBS comedy series “Ghosts” interacted with ghostly characters through historical artifacts and exhibits Tuesday at the Library of Congress, where the show’s fourth season premiered to a packed theater.

Cast members at the screening portrayed characters from eras associated with Prohibition, women’s suffrage, pre-colonial America, and more.

Richie Moriarty, who plays a 1980s scoutmaster with a distinctive practice arrow stuck in his neck, said the venue was more than just advertising.

“Almost all the publicity we do is in New York or Los Angeles and is very industry focused. It’s great to be in such a venue,” Moriarty said.

Although many characters in the series are not based on real people, cast members and the public were able to observe original, preserved artifacts from the characters’ worlds. It included sheet music for songs by black people, female jazz singers, rare comic books, texts from the women’s suffrage movement, guides to safely handling bows and arrows, portraits of Native Americans, and more.

Roman Zaragoza, who plays a long-deceased Lenape tribe member and is himself a descendant of the Aquimel Awesome tribe, said he was struck by the exhibit displaying Native American artifacts and culture.

“This hit me much harder than I expected,” he said. “It makes me think about how this show is going to hit people so much further than they expected. Comedy is a way that we can talk about our history and how we got here.” .”

Zaragoza said she was moved to tears after hearing a recording of a rare “wax cylinder” said to be of Native American origin. Other cast members had similar reactions to Artifact.

“It was really moving to see these artifacts today,” said Danielle Pinnock, who plays Prohibition-era black jazz singer Alberta.

“It made me want to preserve some of the stuff in my house, whether it’s diaries or newspaper articles. These episodes are our historical relics, so I’m very lucky to be on the show.” I feel that way,” Pinnock said.

“The foundation of this country is the indigenous people and the indigenous people, and it’s the black people, and it’s the immigrants. And here, I feel like they’re all smiling on us, and I’m so proud of them,” she said. said.

This is the latest of several recent events hosted by the Library of Congress that blend pop culture and history.

In 2022, the Library of Congress invited musical artist Lizzo to play a 200-year-old crystal flute that once belonged to Alexander Hamilton. More recently, he hosted a ceremony to award the Gershwin Awards to music artist Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. Popular songs.

“So connecting all Americans to the Library of Congress is part of the library’s larger mission and vision,” said Roswell Encina, the library’s chief communications officer.

“Whether it’s a Native American, a hippie, a Wall Street bro, or someone from the Gilded Age, each ghost is tied to a part of our history. It shows that we have materials in our collection,” he said.