SOUTHERN FRIED GHOST STORIES by Fiama Mastrangelo
8 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM
photo by Guy Stevens
H
er name is Ashley McGlothren, and she’s going to tell you a scary story. Local podcaster, non-profit founder and selfproclaimed stage mom, McGlothren delivers spinechilling tales of horror and true crime from south of the Mason-Dixon line to listeners across the nation. The podcast just surpassed 50,000 downloads, proving that “spooky season” is year-round.
Southern Haunts is the brainchild of McGlothren, who is also the co-host of The Stage Moms podcast and president and founder of Arrant Knavery, a local theatre company. Originally from Panama City, McGlothren has spent her entire life in the South and wanted to explore the spookier side of Southern history. With her background in theatre and experience in the world of podcasting, McGlothren decided to start up Southern Haunts as a way to pass the time during nationwide lockdowns in June 2020. The idea for Southern Haunts began when McGlothren recorded “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
for The Stage Moms’ Storyteller Series. Written from the perspective of a woman descending into madness, “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a chilling tale with plenty of potential for haunting readings. “That episode is really sort of what got my wheels spinning about Southern Haunts. I was like ‘Oh, I could do this on a podcast,’” McGlothren said. As an established figure in the Pensacola arts community, McGlothren expressed her deep appreciation for the beauty of Southern living and the community that it inspires. She’s no stranger to hauntings,
