Alhambra Hosts Its Annual Haunted House

AMY PATEL, JESSE ROSALES STAFF WRITTERS
On Oct. 19 and Oct. 20, Alhambra High School Thespians hosted their annual Haunted House. The event was open to all students of all grade levels. It ran from 5:00-8:00p.m., and the theme was “No Vacancy.” Tickets during presale were bought for $5 and tickets at the door increased to $8. There were be 12 rooms in the haunted house; each were horror-themed and starred a murderer.
The Thespians hold fundraiser events throughout the year to finance costumes, decorations and other stage necessities.
Over the course of several weeks, members of the Thespians club have worked on the haunted house.
The Haunted House usually carries a central theme. Last year, the event was themed “ the horrors of toys.” The walls of the auditorium were payed out with baby heads and the alleys created by the Thespians had jump scares at every corner. The Haunted House is an integral part of funding future projects and is an expression of the arts here at Alhambra.
Many students express their excitement for the Haunted House even before the event.
“I think that the theme this year sounds really cool. I like a horror movie adventure vibe, the thrill of being scared,” junior Myree Co said. “Last year’s was really good, but I bet this year will be even better.”
This years theme has to do with a spooky motel crawling with freaks and creeps.
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The haunted house had been going on for hours yet the line only seemed to be getting longer. The outside of the auditorium was filled with students and family looking for a night of fun and thrill. The fundraiser proved to be successful, as the line on the final day of the installation Friday, Oct. 20, was packed with people waiting to enter the haunted house twice.
“I felt like this year there was a much better Haunted House than last year because the experience did not feel as short,” junior Ryan Wu said.
The Alhambra High School Thespians focused on extending the experience. While this may have played a part in making lines longer, holistically the experience was enriched.
“There was not a moment throughout the experience that I did not feel a sense of thrill because the actors in the Haunted House were focused on haunting and creeping at us from all angles,” freshman Celia Xu said.
Students from all grade levels came to take part in the event. The Haunted House was a series of corridors that were decorated to depict the scenes of a motel. The booth at the front of the line sold snacks and refreshments while people waited. Students would enter through the little theater and travel through a series of rooms until they exited from the doors in the auditorium.
“Initially I was super scared by the girl sitting on the floor in the first room,” freshman Ariel Bridus said. “All I could hear around me were screams and music.”
The Haunted House utilized lighting, music, and a thematic background in constructing a realistic interpretation of a haunted motel.