By: Samira Zarazua
OMAHA, Neb. — During the Halloween season, about 10 haunted houses open their doors to scare willing residents of Omaha. With each haunt featuring animatronics, jump scares, and scare actors, what you may not notice right away is the amount of art you consume as a ticket holder.
Many tend to visit these freaky attractions due to the rush it gives, but others see it as a way to engage in art. From builders creating larger-than-life sets, to make-up artists and costume designers dressing the local performer, haunted houses not only support local artists in the area but creates a space for art engagement, especially for those who do not consume it regularly. Each person walking through experiences a new room of art with each step they take.
Psycho Schoolhouse, a new haunt on 301 5th St, Pacific Junction, Iowa, created by the same people who brought Hillside: House of Hell and Bloodrush, had its grand opening this previous weekend, hosting guest stars from popular horror films like Amelie McLain from Terrifier 2, with later plans for bringing in more guests each week. Taking months to set up the haunts, co-owners Travis Marcoux and Shaun Rosen work with a team of dedicated builders to create the spaces while also hiring young, up-incoming talent in positions that cater to their potential future interests like acting, make-up, and special effects.
“Some like it, and some don’t. . . if they do like it, we’ll put them under our wing, and under the wings of our veteran artists. Some of them have really, really excelled over the last couple of years.”
This not only helps open the doors to new talents in creative spaces, but it brings attention to local artists in the area wanting to utilize their special talents.
Jessa Adams, one of many scare actors in Psycho Schoolhouse, shares how there is a lot of work to put into her role but finds the outcomes rewarding. After being a part of theatre spaces for about 10 years and getting ready to finish high school in the spring, Adams found scare acting fascinating.
“It gives us something us something bigger to work on while getting paid good money,” Adams states, “allowing us to still enjoy getting into a completely different role as we grow up.”
With art engagement rising in the Omaha Metropolitan area, exploring a haunted house during the spooky season helps expose yourself to new levels of interactive art while supporting the artists who spend months putting everything together.
