Hawthorne Players has presented theatre-in-a-cemetery productions since 2010. The original productions at Valhalla Cemetery included night-time hayrides through the cemetery, with stops along the way where actors appeared from the darkness and portrayed some of the permanent residents who told stories about their lives and times.

In 2022 the event moved to a new venue, the historic Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis. The productions there are done during the day, with audience members transported to sites within the cemetery on shuttles.

The productions are researched, written and directed by Larry Marsh, who has found abundant source material in these lovely cemeteries. Some of the presentations are funny, some disturbing, some inspiring, but all of them are based on the lives of real people, and audiences learn more about St. Louis area history and times.