Halloween brings a certain buzz to the month of October. Whether it be the lively parties, endless amounts of candy, or the most creative costumes, Halloween has something everyone can enjoy.
For some, their favorite part is the thrills and scares a good haunted house can bring.
This was the case when the president of the West Chester University Theatre, senior Chelsea Barnett, decided to host its first annual haunted house on Friday, Oct. 30.
Over forty students involved in the theatre’s haunted house started their preparations at 3 p.m. that day immediately following the end of classes.
They began hanging tarps and adding horrifying effects to turn the bottom floor of E.O. Bull into a haunted maze.
There were a total of nine different rooms that guests were able to experience. Some of the rooms featured were an insane asylum, the Bloody Mary room, and even a twisted circus.
Certain rooms in the haunted house payed particular attention to detail.
One instance in which this was noticed was in the torture room. On the wall, there was a fake newspaper article explaining the characters’ backstories that the actors assigned to this particular room created themselves.
The makeup, costumes, sets, props, and even lighting made a drastic impact on the outcome of the haunted house.
The best part about the event? Admission was no charge.
The haunted house tried to be as interactive with guests as possible.
Chelsea wanted guests to have the full experience of an authentic haunted house and have it be as creepy as can be.
This meant people had the option to be touched or harassed as long as they did not wear a glowing bracelet, which told volunteers in the haunted house that these people could not be touched.
Hands popped out from different walls, touching the people who were brave enough to not wear a glowing bracelet.
The event itself was supposed to last from 8 p.m. until 10 p.m. but actually had to be extended another hour due to such an overwhelming turn out.
In all, the volunteers spent almost nine hours preparing, scaring, and tearing down the haunted house that Friday all for the fun of a good scare.
By the end of the night, almost 160 victims braved the walk through the haunted house.
As for the University Theatre, they foresee this event being an ongoing treat during the Halloween season.
Alyssa Thomas is a second-year student majoring in theatre. She can be reached at AT824712@wcupa.edu.