There are not many career options where you can get paid to scare the living daylights out of people, however, one Sonoma County Halloween tradition employs a slew of actors each season to provide customers with hair-raising scares.
Blind Scream in Santa Rosa has been frightening haunted house patrons for 10 years at the old Sears auto center with different Halloween-themed houses, this year with a witch’s house and a crazed circus house called “Lil Horrus’s Fun House.”
Sonoma West Publishers recently got to talk with two of Blind Scream’s cast members to discuss what it takes to make people scream and jump.
While the two actors, Michelle Marques and Walter Howard, each play different roles, they both said that the job takes a bit more personal skill and improvisation than some people may think.
Walter Howard — Creepy gas station attendant
Howard, who is a Halloween fanatic, became involved with the haunt in 2011 after a friend asked him if he wanted to audition.
Although he is not a full-time actor, Howard said he ended up auditioning for the first role on the call sheet, a gas station attendant.
“One of the things that I love about the audition process is there are no sets, there are no lights, there’s just a room with a bunch of people in it and the director and that’s it,” Howard said.
The only thing you are provided with is the name of a character and then you have to come up with the rest, he said.
With limited character information to build upon and the fact that people get scared in different ways Howard said imagination and improv skills are important.
“You really just have to use your imagination,” he said. “You are going to get people that aren’t scared, or who are just enjoying it, enjoying the effects. My dad doesn’t really get scared but he likes going through the haunt every year and he loves the spectacle of it, but my mom does get scared so obviously I target her.”
He said scaring is often catching people where they’re not expecting it.
“Even the people who don’t get scared, if I can make them jump then that’s a victory,” he said.
He noted that in a haunt he only sees the customer for five seconds or less before the next group comes in, so leaving an impression is important.
“With the creepy gas station attendant I kind of did this thing where I leaned forward and hunched by back and said, ‘You watch out now, you don’t go into the witch house, it is going to eat you up inside,’” Howard explained, adding a creepy twinge to his voice.
“What really what brings the character to life is the room and the effects because once that is in place then so many possibilities open up — I tell the newer actors that there is no bad room because every single room has an angle (to work from), it works so well.” In regards to makeup and costumes, Howard said that having a good look also brings the character to life, making it easier to act.
“Our director’s daughter is in charge of the costumes and makeup and she does an amazing job,” he said.
In previous years Howard did wear a full face of makeup and special contacts that made his eyes appear white and glazed over.
“That gets the best reaction because it is a real face with eyeballs that don’t look right and kind of digs into people’s primal fears,” he said.
This year Howard won’t be in any makeup since he will be wearing a full head mask that he said feels like a “sweat-lodge on your head.”
Masked or no, scaring is an art Howard takes pride in.
“My understanding is last year we had 40 people literally pee themselves. We actually have a cleanup crew on standby for those occasions. That’s my understanding. I’ve had someone throw-up in my room, I’ve had someone drop to the ground in a fetal position, completely broken, but we are doing our jobs.” Howard noted, “Anytime someone goes into the fetal position, I know I have broken them.”
This year Howard will be stationed in the witch house, but he did not want to give away any spoilers on the specifics of his role.
He did say that there are a lot of special effects this year that the haunt did not have last year.
“I am blown away by the effects this year,” he said.
Michelle Marques — Gypsy witch
Michelle Marques has been acting with the haunt for four years and has played a different role each year.
Marques got involved with the haunt since she works with Judy Groverman Walker, one of the producers of the event.
Marques, who works in radio, also uses improv while playing the role. In addition she uses some of her own skills.
“I definitely have a dramatic flair,” Marques said. “Judy encourages us to use what we already have.”
For instance one of the cast-members is very flexible and can contort her body in bizarre ways to add an extra creepy flair to her act, according to Marques.
Marques uses her bi-lingual skills — she speaks German — to add an extra element to her role.
“It is not the most lyrical language,” she mused.
During each haunt Marques will sing a simple nursery rhyme in German but makes it sound “super evil.”
She noted that makeup and prosthetics are another factor that help her get ready for each role.
“We now have new scar prosthetics and effects that we did not have access to,” she said. “Seeing yourself in the mirror (after makeup) really gets you into character.”
For someone who is typically frightened of haunted houses like Blind Scream, Marques said, “The scaring part is actually super empowering … It gets the adrenaline going.”
She added that it is fun seeing the range of how people get scared.
“Kids sometimes do not get scared, but a big burly guy can,” she said.
Blind Scream is open most Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights and will have its last tour on Halloween, Oct. 31. Weekend tours run from 7 to 11 p.m. and weekday tours run from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets range from $15 to $35 with different package options.
For tickets, visit blindscream.com.
