Things turned evil inside Ohio Northern University’s Freed Center for the Performing Arts during this year’s Halloween season. Musical theatre students did not produce the popular musical, Rocky Horror Picture Show, but rather, a thrilling, one-night event, “Freed Fright Night.”
It was the scariest haunted house in Ada.
This was the second year for the entirely student-produced spectacle, and from last year’s reactions, people were excited for more scares provided by Theta Alpha Phi, the international theatre honorary society.
This year’s theme was Carn‘Evil.’ With the fall season of American Horror Story focusing on a Freak Show, theatre students thought it was a great opportunity to incorporate that into their own horror show.
“Our haunted house wasn’t your conventional Freak Show,” says Evan LaChance, a senior musical theatre major. “Back in the 1920s, the traveling circus and Freak Shows were exceedingly popular. Troupes consisted of unfortunate people with birth defects that were then put on display for all to judge.”
He continues, “What makes us different is that our Freaks were made, not born. Our show focused on a Ring Master that kidnaps people and experiments on them by creating her own brand of Freaks.”
Picture this: a woman whose legs have been sewed together, a man’s teeth removed and replaced with fangs, and two sisters cut in half and bolted together. These are not the traditional creatures seen at Freak Shows.
“Watch out for the Ring Master. She is very protective of her creatures. She wasn’t too pleased with people invading her space,” LaChance jokingly adds.
“Freed Fright Night” is the biggest fundraiser for Theta Alpha Phi. It provides theatre majors the ability to attend workshops and national auditions.
Also, the international theatre production majors are working towards creating their own organization chapter of the United States Institute of Theatre Technology. The fundraiser will help them work towards their goal. Technical theatre students are assisting with “Freed Fright Night” to help heighten the visual effects of the show.
“We want to make sure the effects are greater each year, and that the scares are more intense. We hope that students and the Ada community see the Freed Center that houses productions, like the ONU Holiday Spectacular, turn creepy for just one night a year,” LaChance concludes.