Southlake Times > News
Theater department hosts annual haunted house
By Heather M. Goodwin, hgoodwin@starlocalnews.com
The sixth annual Carroll theater department's sixth haunted house promises to offer thrills and frights for all its guests.
Haunted House: The Mystery Time Machine "Traveling Through The Ages" begins Friday and Saturday from 7 to 11:30 p.m. at the Carroll Senior High School auditorium entrance, 1501 W. Southlake Boulevard. The haunted house will also be open from 7 to 11:30 p.m. Oct. 19, 20, 26 and 27 and from 7 to 11 p.m. Oct. 31.
Tickets are $10 and are on sale at www.dragondrama.net. A limited number of fast passes will also be available for sale at the venue each night. The passes will cost an additional $10 each and will move guests straight to the front of the line.
"This is a haunted house, but with a performance focus added on," said Mitch Allison, thespian board president. "We have a maze, but we also have scenes with dialogue and a dance."
At the end of the haunted house, the students perform a dance choreographed by some of the senior theater members including Allison, Kaylyn Buckley and Kelsey Olohan. The dance shows two street gangs fighting.
"We all came up with the dance moves within the routine," Olohan said.
The three students said they worked well together.
"I'd come up with some moves and then hit a roadblock and Kaylyn and Kelsey would come up with the next steps," Allison said.
Preparations for the haunted house began Labor Day weekend.
"We started with stage combat intensive over Labor Day weekend," Buckley said. "That was open to everyone who wanted to be part of the haunted house. There are 160 of us participating in the haunted house."
Sara Faris, a senior theater member, also attended the combat workshop.
"I'll be a gladiator in the haunted house," Faris said. "I'm excited to be a part of this. It's a haunted house, and it's scary but it also has a storyline."
The Carroll haunted house also has a storyline it follows. V Industries created a time machine that runs on human blood. As people enter the haunted house, there is a malfunction with the time machine. People jump through different time periods while making their way through the maze. The students promised a surprise ending.
"We've made this haunted house appropriate for almost anyone. When you walk through with an angel, we tone down how scary it is so younger children will also enjoy it," said Ashley Nordahl, a senior theater member. "The angel calls out to the actors that they're coming through and then the actors will be friendlier with people."
Mason Kuhn, a senior theater member, said the house has something everyone will enjoy.
"I'll be one of the maze monsters," Kuhn said. "I don't really prepare for the role - it's in the moment. So, each time you go through the haunted house, it will be a little bit different."
Mary Beth Holm, a senior theater member, said even adults will be scared while travelling through the haunted house.
"My mom came in not expecting to be scared, but she was," Holm said. "I love Halloween, and I really enjoy being part of this event."
The haunted house includes a mystery time machine, fighting gladiators, ninjas and the attraction "claustrophobia." With the various pieces to the haunted house, many students perform multiple roles.
"I'll play a gladiator and Jake the boxer," said Daniel Scandura, a senior theater member. "I go over the dance at home in order to make sure it's perfect. In class we go over it a lot to make sure no one is hurt during the combat scenes."
John Harvey, a senior theater member, said he is able to fill in for any role.
"In the past I've been an angel. It's fun helping the children get through the haunted house," Harvey said. "I keep participating in the haunted house because it's fun. It's the time of year when scaring people is fun."
In addition to dancing and acting, students were also responsible for creating their costumes.
"We're supposed to have a base costume, and then we accessorize it with pieces we find at costume shops," said Heather Wang, a junior theater member. "I'm playing a gladiator, ninja and a dancer, so I've distinguished each costume from the other with small pieces."
Wang said a lot of the haunted house is a result of the technicians' work.
"The techs do all the work to create this haunted house, and then we get to perform in it," Wang said.
For the past three years, Texas Haunts, a group that reviews haunted houses, awarded the Carroll haunted house with the best actor's award.
"We're the only high school included in the awards," said Stacie Martinsen, co-director of the Carroll theatre department. "I'm really proud of the work these students do."
Haunted House: The Mystery Time Machine "Traveling Through The Ages" begins Friday and Saturday from 7 to 11:30 p.m. at the Carroll Senior High School auditorium entrance, 1501 W. Southlake Boulevard. The haunted house will also be open from 7 to 11:30 p.m. Oct. 19, 20, 26 and 27 and from 7 to 11 p.m. Oct. 31.
Tickets are $10 and are on sale at www.dragondrama.net. A limited number of fast passes will also be available for sale at the venue each night. The passes will cost an additional $10 each and will move guests straight to the front of the line.
"This is a haunted house, but with a performance focus added on," said Mitch Allison, thespian board president. "We have a maze, but we also have scenes with dialogue and a dance."
At the end of the haunted house, the students perform a dance choreographed by some of the senior theater members including Allison, Kaylyn Buckley and Kelsey Olohan. The dance shows two street gangs fighting.
"We all came up with the dance moves within the routine," Olohan said.
The three students said they worked well together.
"I'd come up with some moves and then hit a roadblock and Kaylyn and Kelsey would come up with the next steps," Allison said.
Preparations for the haunted house began Labor Day weekend.
"We started with stage combat intensive over Labor Day weekend," Buckley said. "That was open to everyone who wanted to be part of the haunted house. There are 160 of us participating in the haunted house."
Sara Faris, a senior theater member, also attended the combat workshop.
"I'll be a gladiator in the haunted house," Faris said. "I'm excited to be a part of this. It's a haunted house, and it's scary but it also has a storyline."
The Carroll haunted house also has a storyline it follows. V Industries created a time machine that runs on human blood. As people enter the haunted house, there is a malfunction with the time machine. People jump through different time periods while making their way through the maze. The students promised a surprise ending.
"We've made this haunted house appropriate for almost anyone. When you walk through with an angel, we tone down how scary it is so younger children will also enjoy it," said Ashley Nordahl, a senior theater member. "The angel calls out to the actors that they're coming through and then the actors will be friendlier with people."
Mason Kuhn, a senior theater member, said the house has something everyone will enjoy.
"I'll be one of the maze monsters," Kuhn said. "I don't really prepare for the role - it's in the moment. So, each time you go through the haunted house, it will be a little bit different."
Mary Beth Holm, a senior theater member, said even adults will be scared while travelling through the haunted house.
"My mom came in not expecting to be scared, but she was," Holm said. "I love Halloween, and I really enjoy being part of this event."
The haunted house includes a mystery time machine, fighting gladiators, ninjas and the attraction "claustrophobia." With the various pieces to the haunted house, many students perform multiple roles.
"I'll play a gladiator and Jake the boxer," said Daniel Scandura, a senior theater member. "I go over the dance at home in order to make sure it's perfect. In class we go over it a lot to make sure no one is hurt during the combat scenes."
John Harvey, a senior theater member, said he is able to fill in for any role.
"In the past I've been an angel. It's fun helping the children get through the haunted house," Harvey said. "I keep participating in the haunted house because it's fun. It's the time of year when scaring people is fun."
In addition to dancing and acting, students were also responsible for creating their costumes.
"We're supposed to have a base costume, and then we accessorize it with pieces we find at costume shops," said Heather Wang, a junior theater member. "I'm playing a gladiator, ninja and a dancer, so I've distinguished each costume from the other with small pieces."
Wang said a lot of the haunted house is a result of the technicians' work.
"The techs do all the work to create this haunted house, and then we get to perform in it," Wang said.
For the past three years, Texas Haunts, a group that reviews haunted houses, awarded the Carroll haunted house with the best actor's award.
"We're the only high school included in the awards," said Stacie Martinsen, co-director of the Carroll theatre department. "I'm really proud of the work these students do."
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