Behind the Screams at the Mansion of Terror

Scaring People Silly Takes Skill and Cooperation

^{Previously: Turning into Creepy People and Setting the Stage Fright}

Actors have assigned areas but also have creative freedom when it comes to scaring the guests. They'll change their location, screams, yells, or other actions from one group to the next. For my part, I tried various approaches from sitting perfectly still to rocking slowly in my chair to standing up slowly or suddenly as guests passed. I also activated one of the strobe lights periodically. An actor I'm not, but I did manage to cause a few guests to jump or squeal in surprise either with the props or my own actions.

There is definitely an art to being scary. But part of being able to startle and scare people effectively depends on the guests themselves. As Robert, one of the actors working in my area put it, "We feed off their energy." I understood perfectly. We all naturally tend to put forth our best effort when we know it's appreciated.

When guests first enter Pitch Dark they have to stop in the parlor and listen to the rules. How they enter the room, how they speak to the person delivering the rules, and how they talk among themselves gave instant clues as to whether or not this group or particular individuals were going to be fun, cooperative, and easy to entertain or real jerks. When I felt a group was getting into the spirit of the evening I had more fun trying to scare them and was somewhat more effective in my own unprofessional way.

I define the jerks as those people unwilling to suspend belief for a few minutes and play along. Some would go through bragging about how they couldn't be scared, proudly pointing out what's real and what's fake, announcing to the group what was going to happen next, and sometimes refusing to follow directions. Why bother? All they are doing is wasting their money, ruining the fun for those around them, and ruining the fun of the actors too -- because it is fun and satisfying when you know you've been able to provide at least a few minutes of entertainment.

Don't Be Afraid To Be Afraid of the Dark

Halloween haunted houses are most entertaining if you approach the adventure as a type of theatrical performance with audience participation. Don't be a heckler. Grab a group of like-minded friends and tell them that no party-poopers are allowed. Loosen up, play along with the story, scream a little, and have a lot of fun in the Mansion of Terror.

We'll be returning -- with more family and friends in tow -- later in the haunting season. Even after being behind the scenes I fully expect to be scared silly each time I go through.

Where, When, How Much

You'll find the Mansion of Terror at:
2000 South IH 35
Round Rock, Texas 78681
Exit 251 behind the Taco Cabana
576-9570

General Admission
Pitch Dark $12 per person
Asylum of Darkness $12 per person

Combo Pass
$16 per person for admission to both attractions

Initially open only on weekends, beginning October 26 the Mansion of Terror is open every night from 7p to midnight through Halloween night 2006.