Every year, LHS drama club takes over the trails on the town common for three fright-filled nights during their annual tradition, Haunted Woods. The event consists of a spooky guided tour through the woods, fall-themed food and drink, as well as the “Goblin Garden,” where kids can play games and do other Halloween activities.
Junior Meryl Mason has been participating in the event since her freshman year, but this is her first year in the tour guide position, as she previously was an actor.
“The main part of the Haunted Woods is the skits,” Mason said. “Essentially, groups of [students] get together to create scary skits to perform for people to watch. The tour guides are generally upperclassmen, and their job is to take groups of people through the woods, stopping at every skit and adding commentary throughout the path. [There’s also] scarers [who] just pop out and jump scare guests randomly.”
Although the Haunted Woods is very different from the Drama Club’s main stage performances, they all start the same way: with an idea and an audition. Actors perform their scenes for math teacher Ian O’Connor and civics teacher Noah Payeur. According to Mason, the pair works with the students to touch up their skits and make them “the best they’ll be.”
“This all comes together the day of dress rehearsal,” Mason said. “This is when everyone [does a run] through of what the actual Haunted Woods will be [like, with all parts put together].”
Sophomore Ava Christian is working in the children’s Goblin Garden this year and hopes that “everyone can have fun.”
“Goblin Garden is for the younger attendees of Haunted Woods,” Christian said, “it’s a kid friendly [and] less scary part of the Haunted Woods. We play games with the kids [where] they can win prizes, like ring toss with witch’s hats.”
Not only is the Haunted Woods a staple of Halloween in town, but all the proceeds go towards funding the Drama Club throughout the year.
“People should come because there has been a ton of hard work put into this event by the Drama Club,” Mason said. “No matter if you like scary things or not, there are other things you can do, such as going to the Goblin Garden, enjoying the delicious refreshments, or even just hanging out on the common.”
