School of Theatre Presents 1920s Carnival-Themed Haunted Maze

Prepare yourselves, thrill-seekers and carnival enthusiasts.

From Oct. 28 to 31, CarnEvil, the Penn State School of Theatre’s 1920s carnival-themed haunted maze, will take over the Playhouse Theatre.

Although following a carnival theme, the haunted maze is far from your average fun-filled carnival. Instead of the joy that carnival performers, rides, and attractions usually bring, fear will fill the theatre. 

“This is a carnival lost in time, and these characters are waiting for people to come and discover them again,” costumer Chandler Blount said. “They are like antiques on a shelf, you can slowly see the wear and tear on them until they finally have an audience again.” 

The School of Theatre’s theater design and technology students are working together to construct a haunted house that not only will scare its visitors but will also showcase their technical and storytelling skills. 

Forget about the usual blood, ghosts, and vampires of the typical haunted attraction; this haunted maze will use lighting, sound, video, and digital projection technology in order to spook its victims. 

Leading this one of a kind carnival is Penn State senior Sasha Scherlinsky. As both art director and production designer, Scherlinsky will oversee the team of students who will each decorate one of the carnival’s 13 rooms in addition to the lighting, sound and costume designers. 

“Once we decided on a story line we liked for this year’s production I had to create a script for it and once that was done I had put everything together,” Scherlinsky said. “I had to take the story line and make it come to life by communicating with everyone from the costume director to the lights and sound crew. It was important that we were all on the same page and had one conclusive story.”

Bringing Scherlinsky’s visions to life is Curtis Craig, associate professor of design and technology in the School of Theatre. One thing visitors can expect is a digital projection of a carousel with multiple lighting cues and soundtracks that trigger movements.

Starting eight years ago, Craig uses the haunted house as a way for his students to learn about different techniques and career paths. These students are put in charge of creating the tricks for each of the rooms in the haunted house. 

CarnEvil will come to life at the Playhouse Theatre on Oct. 28 from 7-10 p.m. and Oct. 29 to 31 from 7 to 11 p.m. A family-friendly show will be provided Oct. 30 from 5 to 6 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the theatre.