"Everyone...I Think It's Time To End The Séance"

I turned to the audience and said, "Everyone, I think it's time to end the Séance." And I escorted the guests from the room for the last time.

At least, for the last time this season. Tonight, another show ended, a show I've been fortunate enough to do for the second year in a row. Me doing the same show year after year hasn't happened since college, and interestingly enough, it was working for the same company.

Tonight, we said goodbye.

Tonight, we hung up the costumes.

Tonight, we hugged and wished everyone the best until we see each other again.

Tonight, an exhausted team gathered for a final picture.

We replaced our props, closed the door, turned off the lights, and closed the door. All that remains are our memories, hearing the laughs, the gasps, and all the screams that came from that small room. After every show I watched as each patron leave to continue their Frightmares experience. Some were shaking, some laughing, some crying, but almost all were smiling, thankful for a good scare and that the experience was over.

Our team left tired, sore, emotionally drained, but happy. That's the way to end a show. Thank you, Frightmares, for allowing me to be part of an amazing and talented group of people, Stephen, Sheradin, Curtis, Taylor, Joey, and everyone else involved in the show. Happy Halloween, everyone!

The Things You Do...When You Lose Your Voice

Last week, at my part-time gig, I had to work outside. It got cold last week, and because of that, a series of events occurred that resulted in my losing my voice. Well, I didn't lose it completely, but I had no way to project my voice.

For me, it's something that happens all the time.

I remember back in college, I would lose my voice at least a couple of times every year, usually around Christmas. This was a problem because I sang in a choir and Christmas was a very busy time for us, a time when I needed to sing.

Losing my voice is a problem for me. I need my voice to do my part-time gig. I need to speak to the public who are about to enter our show. I need to give the audience instructions and usher them out when the show is finished. I thought of ways I could use technology to help.

Like I said earlier, I can speak, but quietly. I have nothing to push the sound. So, I thought I could get a Bluetooth speaker and project my voice that way. I gaff taped a shower Bluetooth speaker I had to the back of a mask I use for the show. I downloaded an app that allows me to use my phone as the microphone.

It all looked good on paper. Turns out in reality the iPhone mic created a ton of feedback. It was cool, though because the feedback made it sound like eerie spooky sounds were coming from my mask. I remembered that I had ordered a microphone years ago to help with my podcast. I plugged in the mic and pulled up the app. That helped, but it wasn't great. Finally my son loaned me his Bluetooth speaker, a superior product. 

That did it. I had something I could use to speak to the crowds. Turns out, I didn't need to do it. Yes, it hurt, but I pushed through the shows by having the audio turned down and by being quiet. I wasn't as effective a speaker as I had been the previous weeks, but we got through it. 

The good news is, this condition usually only lasts a few days. I won't be returning to the part-time gig for five days. By then, I won't need Bluetooth speakers, additional microphones, or gaff tape. I will have the mask, though. Basically, because it's cool.

Lines...

I don't think there are many who like waiting in lines. Unfortunately, it's one of the realities of modern life, especially as more and more and more people call this world their home. Modern technology can help with some of the lines we've stood in for years. For example, you can go to Stamps.com. I don't use the service myself, but from their ads, they guarantee eliminating waiting in lines at the post office forever.

There are lines that can't be replaced by technology. Case in point, the lines you run into at an amusement park on one of the busiest days of the year. 

There's no getting out of those lines. 

This afternoon I went to the park. We can tell by the number of cars in the parking lot how busy it's going to be. As we drove in, we knew it would be crowded, very crowded. The show I do holds forty people in the theater--that's it, only forty. We were scheduled to do seven shows today. We ended up doing nine. That's 360 people out of tens of thousands who can get in. Ever since we opened our show last year, I don't believe I've ever seen a line as long as the one we had for people waiting to buy tickets to see our show today.

Later in the day, I spotted another line. This one was for one of the many haunted houses on the park. I asked the worker holding the sign how long the line was to get in the haunted house. They said, from that point, it would be one and a half to two hours of wait time.

Personally, that's a long time to be in a line, but the people didn't seem to mind. They kept lining up and the sign holder had to keep walking back as more people joined the line.

I knew those who saw our show tonight had to wait a long time to get tickets. I speak to many of those waiting before the shows begin. Several have told me they tried seeing the show last year, but were unable to see it because everything was sold out. I guess, technically, they've been waiting in a "line" for almost a year.

I'm glad they decided the wait was worth it. I hope we made it worth their time.

Prepare To Scare...

Last Friday the Acquisitions Editor at my publisher asked what everyone was planning to do for the weekend. The answers varied, attending a comic con, chaperoning at a high school dance, other writing-related activities.

Me?

I said I'd be scaring the crap out of people.

And that's just what I did.

And that's what I'm going to be doing this weekend, too.

Also last Friday, I took out my camera and snapped a couple of pictures as we prepared for our shows. My son made sure the chainsaws were ready for the show he house manages. I saw a few of the people assigned to one of the several haunted houses at the amusement parks and they graciously posed for me. And a friend, Colton, snapped a picture of me before the show I'm in started. Colton and members of his family attended that particular Séance session. It was a good one.

Friday's are different from going to the part-time job on Saturdays or Sundays. When me and the kids get to the part on Saturdays and Sundays, we're arriving after the park's been open for several hours. But on Fridays, we arrive before the park opens, before the public has a chance to roam and enjoy.

It's cool seeing everyone walking to their stations in full character. Usually employees in costume must be covered up if they're not at their station. 

I've not had the opportunity to go through any of the other haunted houses on the park. I should, but haven't had the time. People will ask me, as we wait for the next Séance to begin, how our show compares with the other attractions, or they'll ask about how scary are the other haunted houses. I can't tell them. But there are hundreds of employees, kids who love dressing up as ghost, goblins, witches, spooks and spectres, all ready to entertain and scare. 

And tomorrow night, we'll do it all over again.

What Did We Do On Our Anniversary? Lots...Including The Laundry

A few months ago I was sitting in the green room of our local community theater chatting with cast members as we waited our entrance. A fellow actor was on her laptop checking out China.

"China, huh?" I said (of course, I might have said something different--its been a few months...).

"Yeah. I'm checking out where my husband and I want to go for our anniversary in November," she said. "We're thinking of going to a place neither of us have ever been to, so we're considering China."

"That sounds like fun," I said.

And it does.

It make me think of the anniversaries my wife and I have celebrated. Today is #26. We didn't go to China. We went to Red Lobster and then I had to go to work. In those twenty-six years my wife and I have traveled maybe twice and only once have we left the state to celebrate our anniversary. The time we did leave the state, we never went more than 2 miles from the state line.

And we're okay with that.

Years ago my wife and I decided to homeschool. What does that have to do with traveling for an anniversary? When you homeschool you usually can only have one income. I didn't realize, back when we made the decision, how it would impact us as a married couple. My income wouldn't send us to China. It barely sent us to Nevada.

Today my wife and I had a great day. We spent the morning and half the afternoon together. We had a delicious lunch and we did laundry. I put in seven hours of work and now the last embers of the fire that was September 22 are dying out. 

Twenty-six years. It's been amazing, and I'm so glad she said, "yes."

"Séance" Has A New Home...Or, At Least, A New Homefront

Last year I was part of something amazing. I had heard about it beforehand, but I had no idea--none of us did--just how incredible the experience would be. There were five of us in all, and I knew (kind of...) only one before we started. By the time the show's run came to an end, I considered each a friend.

Strange how close you can get to a group when your job is scaring the bejeebers out of people.

But that's just what we did.

And now, it's time for the scaring to begin again. You can sense it--there's something in the air.

It's time for another séance.

Because the show had never been in Utah, almost no one had heard of it. It came from the brilliantly twisted mind of Joey Wartnerchaney, special effects genius and all-around great guy. He had been working with the Lagoon Amusement Park for several years designing both their summer shows and helping with Frightmares. Last season, though, he got to have his self-admitted "favorite show" open for us. I'm so glad he did. The show is flat-out awesome.

It's also tear-inducing, faculty-losing, mind-blowing scary.

Frightmares begins this Friday at Lagoon. If you want to see Séance, you'll need to get into the park and get a ticket. I should say that tickets go fast so getting a ticket for our show may be something you do when you first arrive. You can buy tickets at the entrance to the Arcade, or what we used to call the Penny Arcade. You can't miss our new home. They built an amazingly beautiful facade that houses both the ticket office and our front door. It's a fitting tribute to a great show!

Yes, there's something in the air.

It's time for another séance.

And I can't wait!