In 2004,
I had recently seen The Phantom of the Opera, and being so influenced
I chose
a theater theme for my haunt. This time, I did 3 rooms and my sister
was visiting, so I was able to get extra help with the haunt.
I switched the order
of the rooms, starting with the garage. In the garage, I set up a skeleton
on a "rock" and put candles on the floor. I invested in an inexpensive
fog machine, but found to my dismay that the fog wouldn't hang to the
ground unless it was cooled sufficiently.
I found
plans for a cooler on the internet, but I couldn't afford to buy an ice
chest and the other supplies that were needed to make it. So, I tried
to make my own version out of a cardboard diaper box and plastic soda
bottles
(for
pipe), lining the box with plastic bags that would hold ice around the
pipes. But, it didn't work too great, so my effect in that room didn't
come off like I'd imagined it. |
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The
next room was decorated like a seldom-used theater prop and costume
room.
On the walls, I hung up some costumes I own and draped
spider webs around. In one corner, I created a ghost from a sheet,
a balloon,
and
a broom handle.
This room has two
exits, so in one I created a tunnel by borrowing some connecting play
tunnels from a friend and draping them with black plastic bags. The
kids could use this, and the adults could go the other way around to
the third room.
In
the third room, our office, I draped black plastic over our office
cabinets, put black paper over the window, and drew some organ "pipes" on
a large strip of yellow paper. I put our portable keyboard below these "organ
pipes" and draped spider webs all over. My sister was the actor
in this room.
I had crime scene
tape all over the front yard and signs telling guests to enter by the
garage side door. Even so, we still had several people try to come
to the front door, but I just redirected them. |
As
guests came to the garage door, I flung it open. I was dressed as a
french director
with a baret and overcoat and an ornamental necklace. I cried
out (in accent) how glad I was that they'd arrived. The
main
star of the show, Rosa Thorne, was missing and it was suspected that
Opus D'arc--the phantom living here under the theater--had kidnapped
her. I enlisted their help to rescue poor Rosa.
I led them through
the catacombs of the theater (the garage with skull and candles and--if
it had worked--fog) and through to the prop room. In the prop room I
suddenly noticed the "ghost" and cried out in fear. I startled several
people with that trick. Then, I encouraged the kids to go through the
"heating ducts" and sneak up on Opus unawares. Most kids were highly
reluctant to do this, so I let them go the "grown-up" way. But some of
the braver kids had fun scrambling through the tunnel.
We met them on the
other side of the tunnel, near the 3rd room. In this room, we
entered to find Opus D'arc playing organ music (actually coming from
a CD player). In character, I demanded to know where Rosa was, then
Opus whirled around in his chair to reveal that the other half of "his"
body was in a dress--he was both Opus and Rosa.
My sister and I had
fun playing off each other as I acted stunned and Rosa laughed at me.
I demanded she get back on stage, but she said she was having too much
fun. Then, she would whirl and glare at me as Opus. I acted very frustrated
until an "idea" struck me--I could turn this into a play!
After that, I seemed
to remember the trick-or-treaters and thanked them for their help. I
gave each child a bag of "Monster Corn" (popcorn with M&M's, peanuts,
etc.) and sent them on their way. |
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