My daughter Lyla and I had the opportunity to go behind the scenes at the Mansion of Terror for a look at how they prepare for the evening's fright fest. We also spent 3 hours as actors in the haunted house, getting in a scare or two of our own as guests passed through.

Arriving about an hour before showtime (doors open at 7) Lyla and I were ushered to a back room where we met the director, make-up artist, and the monsters, ghouls, and crazy people that inhabit Pitch Dark and the Asylum of Darkness -- in various stages of scare-readiness. Masks adorned the walls and the tables and floors were sprinkled liberally with blood -- theatrical blood we presume.

Turning Into Creepy People

It was both chaotic and organized in the wardrobe and makeup room. Costumed actors and crew munched on pizza that had arrived minutes earlier while waiting for their turn in the makeup chair. We watched as "Leatherface" got his face glued on, a homicidal clown got his face painted on, and asylum patients had blood slapped, splattered, and poured on -- and then set with a nice dose of hair spray to the face.

Lines were forming and 7 pm was fast approaching when Lyla and I got to don our costumes. As a caged patient in the Asylum of Darkness, Lyla put on scrubs and had her face smeared with blood. We ran out of time to do my makeup but found that my hooded costume along with my wild hair pulled across my face made makeup unnecessary. Hmmmm... I was pretty scary looking with no monster makeup? Not sure that's a good thing! Cloaked in darkness (fortunately my long black dress covered my white sneakers) I took my place in the front room or parlor of Pitch Dark.

Setting the Stage Fright With Props and People

I commend the Mansion of Terror crew on the attention to details. Guests spend no more than a couple of minutes in any one spot inside the attraction and most of it is in darkness. Yet there are numerous extra touches that I'm sure go unnoticed by most who pass through including the cobwebs on everything and the artwork throughout. All these things help to set the stage. Some props are also part of the scare-effects -- when they work.

The evening I worked the parlor we encountered a couple of prop malfunctions, including the hidden entrance failing to open and close properly. However, the director and actors took it in stride and made up for the missing prop action by simply adding a few more scare tactics of their own -- hiding in dark corners, stalking, making loud, often deafening noises. I doubt anyone going through even realized what was missing.

You'll find the Mansion of Terror at:
2000 South IH 35
Round Rock, Texas 78681
Exit 251 behind the Taco Cabana
576-9570

^{Our Special Report continues: Scaring People Silly Takes Skill and Cooperation}