We became total monsters at Halloween Haunt
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Casey and Swilley spent a night learning the terrifyingly technical art of becoming professional monsters at Kings Island's Halloween Haunt. Photo: Courtesy of Emma Perry
At Kings Island, the monsters don't crawl out from under your bed. They clock in, get their makeup done and report for their nightly shift of terror.
Why it matters: Behind every bloodcurdling scream during Halloween Haunt is an elaborate operation involving auditions, costumes, makeup and a whole lot of commitment to the bit.
Driving the boos: Casey and Swilley got a crash course in the scare business over the weekend, transforming into pumpkin-guts-covered villagers slowly turning into gourds inside the park's Pumpkin Eater scare zone.
How it works: Auditions take place every weekend in August, when hopeful monsters are asked to scream, walk like creatures and show off their scariest moves.
- Once hired, actors are matched with characters and locations based on their personalities and park needs.
- There's an art to being terrifying, says Maria Smith, senior supervisor of costuming and makeup. Actors are discouraged from simply yelling "boo," shouting "get out" or chasing guests.
By the numbers: Kings Island has about 200 scare actors working on a typical night, Smith says.
- About half are returning actors, while the rest are new blood.
- The cast ranges from high school students to adults looking for a spooky side hustle.
Behind the screams: The transformation happens just feet from unsuspecting parkgoers.
- Wardrobe resembles a haunted thrift store, packed with period clothing and creepy accessories.
- In a separate makeup room, artists turn ordinary humans into nightmares.
Zoom in: James Kelley, 22, drives about an hour from Kentucky for his first Haunt season after his siblings raved about the experience.
- As a fill-in actor, he might play a cursed lumberjack one night and a Slaughterhouse maniac the next.
- His Slaughterhouse strategy? Single out guests and declare, "Whoa, you would be a great victim."
Turns out, becoming a monster is easier said than done.
💠Casey: I played "Thackery Heathcliffe," a made-up baker-turned-zombie character.
- My makeup was killer, but my scare tactics? Not so much.
- Screaming at strangers is pretty awkward. I mostly lurked through the fog and followed a few unsuspecting people, feeling like an NFL receiver running a route without knowing the play.
- I'll stick to my day job.
💠Swilley: Mad respect to the pros, because this is harder than it looks.
- My schtick? Crawling out of the fog and catching my victims off guard.
- It earned me a few solid teenage-girl jump scares and one horrified visitor screaming, "That's a person! That's a person!" before running off.
If you go: Kings Island's Halloween Haunt runs Thursdays through Sundays through Oct. 31.
- General admission starts at $45 online and includes scare zones, shows and most rides. Haunted mazes cost extra.