“A Fear Fest”: IAA’s Haunted House

Written by Ema Bekic & Olivia Broadrick

On Oct. 25, Braeside was reimagined into a fear fest for the annual Haunted House. Put together by the Dennison team, this event is a major part of Halloweekend and many students look forward to it. 

Starting at 8 p.m., lines of students wrapped around the building for the much-awaited attraction. The air crackled with excitement as screams echoed through the woods. The Dennison team set up a fire pit afterward, equipped with everything for the perfect s’more—the best way to settle down after a fearful night. 

It took the Dennison team just a week to set up. Mati Held, a third-year Film and New Media senior, was the one to come up with the theme. He drew inspiration from The Conjuring, wanting to run with the idea of creepy dolls. The team had thrifted most of the props last year, making the process easier for everyone. They put up large tarps to carve out different places to set up scenes, which the audience would have to navigate. Afterwards, the team began to fill the spaces with various scary props, from scary masks to eerie dolls. Finally, the actors took their places. 

There was a team of about 20 people who worked on detailing and pulling together the overall feel of the Haunted House. With seven-hour work days, they really threw themselves into pulling it together. 

Kendall Buckley, a four-year Musical Theatre senior and part of the team, was in charge of pulling together the actors, about 15 in total. She advertised the opportunity in Provost News, and followed up to those interested via email afterward. Kendall stated that it was her “favorite” part of the Haunted House. “Whether it’s jumpscares or acting creepy in the corner, they [the actors] really bring the haunted house alive.” 

Jumpscares are an integral part of the Haunted House. This year they had masked figures jumping out from behind corners and curtains, striking fear into the audience. Seances were conducted around candlelight at the beginning, with three strange girls muttering unintelligible phrases to set the mood for the haunted house. After weaving and escaping from the various terrors, the audience faced the final show: walking past a man being electrocuted, crying out for help.

Overall, the Haunted House was very successful and students are eagerly waiting for the next one.