One Question With: A Real Haunted House Performer!

So as I said up in my Note, I dreamt I was at the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia for a spell. Though I was sidetracked with a job — and briefly locked up — I still got my story. Here, my interview with Anthony Salas, Haunted House Specialist for Halloween Nights at Eastern State. The creepy 10-acre complex (which used to house some of America’s most infamous baddies, like Al Capone and Willie Sutton) has 5 different haunted houses (Big Top Terror, Nightmares, The Crypt, Machine Shop and Delirium), four themed bars and live entertainment galore. Anthony takes us BTS (an industry term) of his haunted house, and has some pointers for pulling off some scares of your own.

The Narrator: BOO! Okay, Anthony, tell us what it’s like to work at a haunted house and scare the bejeebus outta people. And tips for Wondercade readers on doing the same?

Anthony Salas: I’ve been doing this since 2016. I was in my first semester of college and saw an ad in our student emails. I’ve played many roles in my career at Halloween Nights — one of my favorites was the “Professor” in our 3D Haunted House. Another was the “Lion Tamer” in our circus-themed haunt, Big Top Terror. He enjoyed feeding a few unruly guests to his lions.

Okay, terrifying tips: In order to scare people, you have to read their temperature. (You do a lot of this working in a haunted house as you watch a bunch of people pass through it.) It can be easy to spot the people who look like they’d be an easy scare…but I prefer to go for people who don’t look scared at all. When you’re able to scare the brave ones, the entire group loses it — in the greatest way possible.

So first, always shift your voice. You shouldn’t sound like yourself! Especially if you’re around people you know, like at a Halloween party, your change in voice will catch people off guard and it will scare them more easily. Second, always remain unpredictable, and adapt to your audience — not every guest you encounter will be as scared as the last, and everyone is scared by something different. And be thoughtful…if you’re trying to scare young trick-or-treaters, a werewolf mask may be all they can handle. But for older kids in middle or high school, or even adults, you may need to up the ante: fake roaches or spiders always work for me. And finally, have fun and give it your all. Scares are most effective when the performer is into it and having a good time. It may feel a little silly at first, but once you get a couple good reactions you’ll be hooked!