Nightmare goes medieval on you
October 15, 2008
By Christopher Huber
Anyone who has ever been to the Nightmare at Beaver Lake event during the Halloween season in Sammamish probably had quite a thrill.
This year, they should prepare to be chased by vampire brides and spooked by the wolf lurking in the dark woods of Beaver Lake Park. One of the largest “haunt” productions in the area, Nightmare at Beaver Lake is set to run this Halloween season from Oct. 24-31 at Beaver Lake Park.
The fifth annual “haunt” event is the fruit of more than 100 peoples’ volunteer labor, with planning beginning last March, said Rotary Club of Sammamish volunteer coordinator Del Goehner.
The idea of Nightmare at Beaver Lake is to create a large community event that gets area youth involved in the production process, event co-chair Dana Young said. The goal is to appeal to everyone, regardless of age or physical ability, as well as send all the proceeds to local charities and scholarships.
Upon arriving to the Beaver Lake Park ball fields, visitors will meander throughout a half-mile outdoor and indoor course filled with suspense and surprise on a medieval-fairy tale theme. Roughly 60 volunteer actors will make each night different and unpredictable, but participants are sure to enjoy the frights. The course ends at the pavilion near the lake.
“We want for you to come out feeling like you had a good time,” Young said. “Actors interact with you however you react to them. Every single time you come through the haunt, you’re going to get a slightly different show.”
It’s all because the actors –mostly local high school theater or arts students and interested Sammamish residents — are trained in improvisational acting before the weeklong show, Young said. Organizers also conduct security and make-up training classes in preparation for the production.
“The difference between us and most haunts is a lot of the other haunts pay their actors,” Young said. “We use volunteers. We also have numerous sets.”
Local students, like 2008 Eastlake graduate Hannah Houk, have used their experience volunteering at Nightmare at Beaver Lake to pursue careers in set design, theater or make-up artistry.
Houk said she first joined the crew in 2006 when she found out she could get community service credits for school. She now does make-up for all types of grotesque or scary characters, from latex wounds to airbrushed faces. Last year, she incorporated her volunteer time into her senior project, which focused on theater make-up.
“I figured, ‘how many times do you get to volunteer in a place like that and get community service credit,’” she said.
As the production’s theme changes year-to-year, it takes dozens of volunteers working throughout the year to plan, design and build the sets, Goehner said. Volunteers work with Kent-based Scare productions to create life-size props, such as this year’s trebuchet and castle.
Approximately 120 people run the event every night, Young said. Attendance to Nightmare at Beaver Lake has steadily risen over the years to about 11,000 in 2007, organizers said.
The Rotary Club of Sammamish produces the event each year, but other non-profit organizations like the Sammamish Youth Board help put it on. The trail does go through a forest, but all the haunts are wheelchair accessible, said organizers. The show will go on rain or shine.
Nightmare at Beaver Lake’s opening is 7 p.m. Oct. 24 and begins with family hour, a lighter version of the nighttime scare. The “full frights” portion of the production runs from 8-11 p.m. The event runs nightly on the same schedule through Oct. 31. Tickets cost $9 for family hour; $12 for “full frights” through Thursday; $15 for “full frights” Friday and Saturday; $25 for unlimited entry for one night (all-nighter) and $90 for unlimited entry for the entire week. For more information or to purchase tickets in advance, visit www.nightmareatbeaverlake.com.
We want for you to come out feeling like you had a good time.”
– Dana Young,
Nightmare co-chair –
Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, Ext. 242, or at chuber@isspress.com.
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