03/26/2019
💀 GOING DARK 💀
Haunters often assert the adage 'darkness is our friend'. This is a useful haunt design philosophy as it allows you to display only those aspects of your show that you want your audience to directly experience. Specific scenic elements will be illuminated while the surrounding darkness remains full of mystery and suspense... And probably a lot of audio cables and extension cords!
In the theatre, a playhouse is said to be 'going dark' when they are between productions or otherwise closed to the public. This can be some of the most exciting times for those who work in live theatre, as it is during these times that new ideas are explored, new sets are designed and built, and a whole new company of performers and crew are in the final stages of preparing their production for the public.
Darkness can be a very good thing.
The Old Vermillion Cemetery is going dark for the 2019 and 2020 haunt seasons. This is a temporary hiatus, and not a permanent closure. Our haunt has existed in some form for many years. Of course, the display was originally designed for our diminutive space in West Hollywood, and not for our current location in Huntersville. In its new location, the display doesn't really work as originally intended and we need to make fundamental changes to how we approach its design and ex*****on. But these are challenges for future Halloween seasons. The spooks and spirits that haunt the Old Vermillion Cemetery have more immediate concerns that simply must take priority for now.
That's not to suggest we're resting in peace. Oh, no! We will be lending a disembodied hand to some of our local haunt pals for the next two seasons. In that sense, the Old Vermillion Cemetery's ghostly presence will still be felt, however subtly. And when the spirits are ready, the cemetery will once again materialize from out of the dark to haunt the dreams of our local trick or treaters!
To all of you who have supported either Spaulding House or the Old Vermillion Cemetery, we thank you from the fathomless pits of our cold black hearts. And we promise, this hiatus is a good and necessary decision which ensures the future creative development of our haunt. In this case, a little darkness is most definitely our friend!
🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃
