The murky fog lurked over the crowd as they anxiously entered the Black Box, ready to experience the Pitman Drama Haunted House on October 24th.  Students from Pitman High School’s beginning and advanced drama classes put on this event, as well as students from the Drama Club.

This was not the first haunted house the Pitman Drama department has put on; it is an annual event, attracting a large crowd each year.

“We mix up what we do from year to year,” claims Mrs. Mcbay, the Pitman High drama teacher, “Last year we did tombstone terror stories and we wanted to move it into the theme of a mental institution”.

The Black Box lobby, completely unrecognizable, set the suspense for the theme of a terrifying mental institution, with tombstones and cobwebs placed along the entrance.

The crowd was lead through the haunting sanitarium by two tour guides who managed the sanitarium, instantly focusing on the theme for a mental asylum with an infamous reputation for its mad patients.

The students’ screams and cries filled the Black Box, yelling at the crowd to “Get Out” and “Come Play”. Their acting was incredible and could make anyone who entered feel uneasy.

Patients were chained to their bed’s, begging to be released. They fought and played with one another. There were several jump scares throughout the haunted house, causing people to release screams of horror. At one point, the crowd encountered two girls locked inside a cage due to their “bad” behavior.

The actors were not afraid to interact with the crowd, staring at them with a ghoulish gaze and releasing frightening giggles in their ears.

Details were not scarce in the haunted house. The props chosen added to the fright. On the ground, there were drawings and maniacal letters made by the patients. The actor’s costumes were mangled and blood-ridden.

The haunted house’s story was amazing, allowing the audience to feel like they were truly a part of the experience. The actors produced monologues and at one point, were even introduced to the owner of the asylum.

When the crowd thought the haunted house was coming to an end, they were chased by a madman with a chainsaw, forcing them to run toward the exit for their freedom.  Many people left with tears in their eyes, either out of enjoyment or fright, and a handful of memorable experiences.

“The drama student’s acting made the setting really realistic,” beamed Pitman High senior Breeanna Easterly, “What really made it feel like an actual asylum was the amount of screaming patients yelling and pleading to be free”.

The Pitman Drama department put on a wonderful event, chock full of the Halloween spirit.