Behind the Scenes at Phantom Fall Fest at Lake Compounce

The week before the scheduled Opening Day of Phantom Fall Fest at Lake Compounce, the professional RWS team was working very hard to decorate the haunted houses that will be presented during the event. Unlike the previous Halloween haunted house that was housed at The Lake, several scary areas will be spread out throughout the park, thereby spreading visitors around the park and not waiting in one line to enter the single haunted house.

With the rides open, RWS Experiences has added spooky experiences for park guests to enjoy (or be frightened by, as the case may be) once the sun goes down. The Lake has successfully hired a host of actors to “flesh out” the various areas.

During a daytime tour with Marketing Lynsey Winters, I could see that the four walk-through haunted houses designed by RWS had been almost fully constructed and, with set designers hard at work, they were beginning to look very spooky. There are so many theatrical elements to the Phantom Fall Fest that I felt as if I was getting a backstage tour unlike any other. We spotted “Scare Director” PJ walking around the park, checking in on the details, as we strolled by piles of bodies and skeletons, ducked beneath netting and other hanging elements.

The first haunted house that we entered is dubbed “The Root of All Evil.” According to the Lake Compounce website, “In this house, Dr. Belladonna Thornwoode has gone mad on her quest for perfection. Now, her once grand manor lay in ruin. The nights bring terrifying sounds and a new creation of Dr. Thornwoode’s lurks around every corner and rotten door. Can you make it out alive?”

Like each of the haunted houses, the maze-like sets are fitted with their own stories, soundtrack and lighting. The performers are costumed in marvelously spooky costumes and full makeup. Each has one assigned role, with lines specific to their character that were learned in rehearsal with one of their “Scare Directors.”

MasqueRage is the scare zone that will be presented in the front entrance to the park.
The Lake Compounce website describes this experience this way: ‘Something sinister fills the air as you enter the Phantom's Masquerade Ball. Do you face the plague raging on outside or the Phantom and his demonic guests inside? It's not too late to leave through the gates.” This is the zone where performers with a dance background will be seen.

Witches Revenge is an outdoor scare zone, a scripted area. “300 years after their torture and trial, the witches of Connecticut have returned and have taken over at Lake Compounce. You must face the wicked witches, will they let you live?300 years after their torture and trial, the witches of Connecticut have returned and have taken over at Lake Compounce. You must face the wicked witches, will they let you live?”

Monster Hunters is another of the scare zones. “Do you dare to enter the wilderness at night? An evening stroll sounds relaxing. Until you hear cracks in the nearby trees, and shadows begin to emerge from the darkness. Suddenly you’re surrounded by mythical monsters of the night with no escape in sight. Will you make it out alive?”

“MediEvil” is the haunted house that my tour guide described as the goriest of them all. “It’s time to face judgment. As soon as you set foot in front of the Inquisitor, you are subject to his demonic interpretation of ‘justice’. Now you must endure soul-wrenching torture, and venture into his twisted labyrinth of medieval chambers of chaos, bearing witness to never-ending punishment, and wondering if there may be some way yet to escape your dark fate.”

The most elaborate haunted house is aptly titled “mAlice in Wonderland,” an indoor construction in the ballroom with two frightful “Alice in Wonderland” sections.

“Will you go down the Rabbit Hole or Through the Looking Glass? The choice sends you down one of two terrifying paths inhabited by the evil residents of Wonderland – who’ll be all too happy to escort you to the mad Red Queen herself. Off with your head!” A few hints for this house: Don’t miss the Red Queen’s costume, a work of art, and don’t walk into the mirrored walls.

The Alice in Wonderland haunt will be an additional $5. Tickets for this indoor haunt can be purchased online or at the park.

The haunts at The Lake are not recommended for guests under the age of 14. Beginning at 6:00 p.m. each day, guests under the age of 18 must be escorted by a chaperone that is over the age of 21. Chaperones may not escort more than four guests into the park.

The Lake will be open Fridays from 6:00 - 10:00 p.m for haunts, Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 -10:00 p.m. for daytime family fun, then at 6:00 p.m. the fear kicks into gear. Many of the rides will be open during the event, so that patrons can step off a ride on the Boulderdash roller coaster and experience a haunted area.

With one low price, guests can get access to three scare zones, three out of four haunted houses, and your choice of thrilling rides. Tickets for Phantom Fall Fest are available at https://bddy.me/3C8x2qY

All single day tickets, 2022 Silver, Gold, and Platinum Season Passes and 2023 Gold and Platinum Season Passes include admission, unlimited rides, access to three scare zones and three of the four haunted houses.

All dry rides and attractions will be open during Phantom Fall Fest operating hours. Circus World will close at 6pm.

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local theatre venues. She posts reviews of well over 100 productions each year. In 2016, she became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle. She continues to contribute theatre news, previews, and audition notices to local Patch sites. Reviews of all levels of theatrical productions are posted on Naugatuck Patch and the Patch sites closest to the venue. She recently became a contributor to the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper. Her weekly column and theatre reviews appear in the Thursday Weekend section of the paper.

Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the NEW CCC Facebook page.