Middletown High School annually hosts a haunted house to aid in funding the drama department. During the five nights of fright at the end of October, the spectacle draws large crowds, but not many see the hard work that is put in before and after the performance.
Behind the scenes of the lively and interactive performance, the cast and tech crew spend their weekends and countless hours working on building the set.
MHS senior and stage manager Tommy James said that the cast and tech crew spend upwards of 150 to 200 hours building the set, from September to October.
James also added that it took “a lot of coordination and organization to make it work.”
The hard work they put into building the set was not wasted as they spent five nights scaring those who attended the event. But these terrors were for a good cause, as it benefitted the community and the school.
“It [the haunted house] brings people together for the sake of the school,” said Megan Roeder, MHS sophomore and cast member.
James agreed and said that the production is a fundraiser that directly benefits the school and specifically the drama department. These funds provide resources and cover the costs that ensue from later shows throughout the year.
After the five nights are over, the set is taken down by the cast and crew; a mandatory task for all who participated in building or performing.
Cast member and MHS sophomore J Harsch said that what took “weeks to build only took one day to take down.”
A collaborative effort, each person helped where they could and if they couldn’t, Roeder said that people could visit Bill Pressly, haunted house director, for jobs.
Harsch added that if a cast member did not help to take the set down, they would be “shunned from tech.”
The process of taking it all down was called “strike,” and after strike was over, students reflected on the effects that the “Nightmare in the Valley” had on themselves and the community.
James said, “Nothing compares to getting together with all of your friends and scaring people together…to have fun while doing something for the school.”
James has participated in the production for 7 years and as a senior, this was his last time taking part in the show.
Remembering all the years, James said that he loved spending time with friends and doing what he has loved for seven years, and especially to “share something I’m passionate about with the people I love.”
Passion seemed to be a common theme between cast members who reflected on the performance.
Harsch said that his favorite part of the production was meeting new friends while “coming together to work on a project we’re passionate about.”
Roeder concurred that meeting new people and friends was her favorite part of the experience. She added that by the time the haunted house was over, the cast was “one amazing dysfunctional family.”
