Unofficially started in the 1980s, when multimedia artist and film teacher Jonathan Chappell, as a young boy, made a scarecrow that local police mistook as a real missing woman. 

Inspired, Chappell continued making “monsters” as simple, handmade Halloween-themed lawn decorations displayed on Chappell Drive, in Gill, MA, that charmed and impressed his neighbors. 

As the years passed, experience grew. Sticks, hay, bailing twine, and paper mache were replaced by PVC, epoxy, resin, latex, and silicone. 

The display grew from a couple of figures to extensive scenes, earning the approval of many passersby, including Spooky God Tim Burton himself.

The first-ever Skeleton Crew Theater production came from these displays, which Chappell performed entirely by himself to a small audience of close friends. 

Since then, with the support of the Gill and Turners Falls community, the effort of TFHS students, and the willpower of Chappell himself, Skeleton Crew Theater has blossomed from a seasonal hobby into a one-of-a-kind theater group specializing in adaptable, immersive outdoor performances with larger-than-life creatures.

Venues have included events for colleges, fundraisers for high schools, libraries, public/private events, festivals, local organizations, films, and Boston Arts Week.

SCT has employed hundreds of Turners Falls High School students in the past several years, allowing them to access and experience a unique form of project-based learning and art. 

In November 2017, a barn containing several SCT characters and sets caught fire. The damage was substantial, with a loss of several creatures and sets. But a successful crowdfunding effort raised enough funds to help replace the loss. 

In April 2020, tragedy struck when Chappell’s father, Louis, died of Covid-19 after a three-week hospital stay. With the encouragement of Finn and Jayne, SCT produced a show in Lou’s honor in October of 2020.

Since then SCT has continued to produce high-quality theatrical shows and displays.