Look Who Was a Guest Scare Actor at Lake Compounce

By Nancy Sasso Janis

Phantom Fall Fest is underway at Lake Compounce, with almost one hundred scare actors hired to perform throughout the park to provide guests with a spooky experience.

I recently had the opportunity to become a guest scare actor for one night and I enjoyed every minute of the experience.

Upon arrival at the service entrance to the park, PR manager Meg Forno took me to the Lake Compounce entrance so that we could watch the new “Roaming Horde of Horrors, ” sinister clowns, zombies, and creatures of the night , make their 6 p.m. entrance into the park. It was there that I was able to see two young “scare actors” that I know.

Kelsey Morris has been working as a scare actor at the Lake for three years. The talented dancer/actor was transformed into a colorful and scary clown who roamed about the park interacting with guests. She sometimes takes on the role of a ghoul with a chainsaw in the park.

PJ Lawlor (pictured above) is a graduate of the Waterbury Arts Magnet School who works as a ride supervisor before the sun goes down and then takes on the role of a scary clown that roams the walkways of the park.

Our next stop was the costume/makeup room located in an area of the Starlight Theater. We walked into a large space crowded with rolling racks filled with costumes, tables laden with wigs and props and even a space where the actors added fake blood to their looks. Entertainment manager Blake had chosen a costume for me to wear that was labeled Fortune Teller.

As a “theater person,” I had packed a “show bag” for this assignment. Meg had told me to dress in all black for the base of my outfit, including black shoes. Knowing that it could get chilly at night, I had packed several extra black layers to add beneath the costume I was assigned, as well two wigs that I own for the costumer’s consideration.

The Fortune Teller costume included a gray skirt with layers, an oversized top, a large silk scarf, and two spooky necklaces. After I had put the pieces on over the black base, I headed to the make-up artist’s chair for the application of both spray-on and hand-painted spooky make-up.

When the friendly artist learned that I have never worn spray-on makeup, she explained that it would feel like air hitting my skin. She started with my hands, expertly applying black highlights to the back of both hands. Then she added more black paint at the hairline, along both sides of my face and around both eyes and finally the lips , kindly telling me exactly what she was doing throughout. Moving on to body paint, she decided to paint a crescent moon on my forehead with a few white dots around it.

Together we decided to have me wear the lighter blue wig that I had brought along and I added two clip on pom-poms, a la Mrs. Lovett in “Sweeney Todd,” before moving the scarf to cover my head. Blake presented me with a spooky lantern to carry in the hand that I wasn’t using to scare.

We headed out into the park, where I joined the “Roaming Hordes” and tried out my scaring skills on unsuspecting guests. Meg never lost sight of me, now matter how far I roamed away from her. I had the best time becoming the character, although I found it difficult not to smile when I got a reaction. I felt honored when guests asked me to be part of a photo, and Meg took photos for me throughout the night.

My favorite interaction with a fellow performer was with a spooky fortune teller with a crystal ball. It was so fun to speak with my “sister,” a character that is admired on the internet.

Perhaps bolstered by my spooky costume and makeup, Meg and I decided to head into one of the outdoor haunts, the new Malignant: Overgrown Evil, set in an abandoned garden where vine-covered creatures popped out to scare us. It was in this house that I noticed a couple of blood-thirsty plants from “Little Shop of Horrors.”

I had decided that I would have to “screw my courage to the sticking place” and experience the most popular haunt, “mAlice in Wonderland.” After walking through the indoor maze early in the construction process, I knew that I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to experience the “Alice in Wonderland”-themed walk-through. I didn’t realize that this haunt was in 3D until I got to the entrance but the glasses provided added another layer to the experience.

The Red Queen, up on a platform at the end of the haunt, is played by Angelina Morin. We could hear her voice loud and as my guides and I walked around the outside of the haunt. We all agreed that she gave an amazing performance in her role.

The other two outdoor haunts are the new “Bloodcraft” and the return of “MediEvil.”

My Connecticut Critic Circle colleague Howard Steven Frydman (pictured above) got to be a guest scare actor as "Zombie Howard" the day before and had almost as much fun as I did.

Season passholders got to meet the face behind the fear when they were invited to go behind the scenes of Phantom Fall Fest with the Senior Events Manager. They attended “Boo School” to learn how to be a Scare Actor in the Carousel Pavilion the day before my visit.

To remove the waterproof spray-on makeup, suggestions included makeup remover wipes, Dawn, or baby oil, but I had great success with Skin So Soft bath oil that I had on hand.

Nancy Sasso Janis of Naugatuck recommends a trip to Phantom Fall Fest before it ends on Oct. 27, if you dare.