A Gardendale teacher has just put the finishing touches on his script for a musical based on Kathryn Tucker’s Windham’s famous book, “13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey.”

Don Garrett is a drama teacher at Gardendale Elementary School, and he said he’s loved the book ever since he was a child. Garrett actually collaborated with the 92-year-old author at her home in Selma.

“I read these same stories over and over and over.,” said Garrett. “[Windham] still lives in the same house where Jeffrey lives…Well, if a ghost ‘lives.’ I was amazed as I sat at the table where she wrote most of these stories.”

Windham is famous for her collections of ghost stories and for living in a house supposedly haunted by “Jeffrey,” who was the inspiration for “13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey.”

The musical tells the fictitious story of a Halloween night when several children decide to investigate Wyndam’s house to see if it really is haunted. They run into two teenagers who are planning to rob the house, and all of them come face-to-face with Wyndham herself. She spins her stories for them, brought to life by music and song by composer Kevin Finn.

“The message is that we’ve lost the ability to communicate,” said Garrett. “It’s scary what’s happening to my kids’ generation and what’s going to happen. They’re always texting—they’ve lost the ability to talk to each other… It makes you wonder, what would it be like if somebody never heard a story?”

Garrett has spent the last year writing his script, which has gone through at least 15 revisions. He said he first approached

Windham by writing her a letter asking permission to write the script.

“I got a little postcard with a ghost on it a few weeks later that just said, ‘call me,’” he said. “When I got her on the phone, she said, ‘go for it, if you think you can do it.’”

Although each of the 13 stories is mentioned in the musical, only a select hand full are portrayed on stage.

“Otherwise, it would have been a five-and-a-half hour play,” said Garrett.

Garrett said he’s always been fascinated with ghosts, and even lived in a house he believed was haunted.

“I do believe in ghosts… at least I don’t rule out the possibility. I saw things in that house I couldn’t explain,” said Garrett.

The musical is being produced by Red Mountain Theatre Company in Birmingham. The play will run on Halloween weekend.it be like if somebody never heard a story?”

Garrett has spent the last year writing his script, which has gone through at least 15 revisions. He said he first approached

Windham by writing her a letter asking permission to write the script.

“I got a little postcard with a ghost on it a few weeks later that just said, ‘call me,’” he said. “When I got her on the phone, she said, ‘go for it, if you think you can do it.’”

Although each of the 13 stories is mentioned in the musical, only a select hand full are portrayed on stage.

“Otherwise, it would have been a five-and-a-half hour play,” said Garrett.

Garrett said he’s always been fascinated with ghosts, and even lived in a house he believed was haunted.

“I do believe in ghosts… at least I don’t rule out the possibility. I saw things in that house I couldn’t explain,” said Garrett.

The musical is being produced by Red Mountain Theatre Company in Birmingham. The play will run on Halloween weekend.