Theatre stages haunted trail as fall fundraiser

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Lexie Hankins, Staff Writer

Oxford High Theatre put on their annual haunted trail this year at Camp Hopewell. The Haunted Trail opened Sunday, Oct. 30 and continued into Halloween day.

“This was my first year helping out, and I absolutely plan to help out more,” freshman Prowell Smith said.

Each year, theater kids help to produce haunted trails or houses with different stories and themes. This year, the theme was “witches.”

“It was my first time,” science teacher Charles Sabatier said. “We mostly went for the tractor because my son loves them.”

The actors, dressed as witches, got to jump out and try to scare visitors and make the experience as frightful as possible.

“It helps the theater department, which is always good,” Smith said. “There are special parts in the ride that make you feel like you’re in the moment.”

Some participants dressed as the dead and applied special effects makeup, while others wore dark robes. Some of the girls dressed in vintage gowns and added fake blood or skeleton makeup.

“Storytelling and things like that come to mind with this activity,” Smith said.

Some visitors to the trail this year thought the trail was not as scary as years past. Junior Nicole Wilkin believes the only reason she was not scared was because she knew the actors.

“I thought it was put together really well,” Wilkin said. “But, it wasn’t very scary because I knew the people coming up to scream at me.”

The Haunted Trail had multiple hayrides each night. The rides started at different times and included different fear levels that made the hayrides scarier as the night continued.

“I thought the story was creative,” Sabatier said. “I wonder how scary it would’ve been at night, because we went to the 5 p.m. version.”

After visiting the trail, some students believe they might come back in the years to come to see what the OHS Theatre does next.

“I can see myself going back in the future,” Wilkin said.

The trail costed $7 per person. The proceeds collected from the trail will go towards the theatre’s trip to the Fringe Festival in Scotland next summer.

“It was enjoyable and supports a great cause,” Sabatier said. “I would encourage everyone to go out and support OHS Theater.”