Haunting of Colony Theatre

The old adage goes, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” This saying has been the motto of Andrew Jones for quite some time. Andrew left his job as the website developer for a local marketing design firm to start a web design studio of his own. Seeing a need for tourism promotion in his historic hometown of Marietta, Ohio, he created mariettaonline.com, which now generates over 25,000 visitors per month. It was no surprise that when Andrew showed interest in the Haunted Attraction Industry that he would personally be involved with every step.

In October 1999, Andrew volunteered his services for a charity Haunt in Marietta known as the Tower of Terror, a non-profit Haunted House built in the rooms of The Anchorage, an old foreboding mansion. The production had all the makings of a great event, but working for someone else was just not Andrew’s idea of fun. So Andrew did what he has always done and set out to create an event himself.

New to the industry, Andrew had big ideas and a small budget, and he had no experience in the steps involved in creating a large commercial haunt. As a matter of fact he had visited very few Haunted Attractions before deciding to build one himself. He went back to what he did know: the Internet. He began researching what other attractions were like and what he would need to get started. Soon he noticed that there were few search engines set up to specifically handle Haunted Attractions and their suppliers. Many of the engines were so bogged down trying to include horror and Halloween related material that they neglected the Haunt industry, or they were so cluttered with photos and large image files that they were slow and difficult to navigate. In an effort to correct this, Andrew started on a pet project known as frighteneering.com, a search engine completely focused on the Haunt industry and primarily Haunted Attractions. Even with a concise search engine at his command, he still needed information and web sites to add to it. In March of 2000, Andrew headed for the 16th National Halloween, Costume and Party Show, in search of big league Haunters.

This Chicago trade show, known to industry types as “Transworld” (the name of the exhibition company that produces the event.) is the closest thing that the industry has to a Haunted House convention. During the 5-day show, Andrew walked the aisles searching for a means to his end. He was awed by the large props and extravagant prices displayed on the trade floor. One of the best aspects of the Chicago show is networking with other people in the industry. Anyone who is anyone is there. If not in a booth selling goods or services, then walking the floor looking at the latest in props and materials. At the convention Andrew began meeting other Haunters from all over the country, operating all sorts of Haunts of all kinds of sizes. Passing out Frighteneering.com business cards, Andrew soaked in all that he could and picked the brains of the industry pros. But it was a chance meeting at a social gathering organized by Haunted Attraction Magazine at the Jekyll & Hyde Club where Andrew met a group of hungry attraction designers that would change his life. This young company was going by the name of FearMakers.

Partners Bo Buckley and Ty Brown had arrived late at the dinner social in downtown Chicago, and sat at the last available table. Andrew and another couple were already seated at the table apart from each other, and everyone seemed to be keeping to themselves. The FearMaker team sat down across from Andrew without as much as an introduction. After several minutes of uneasy silence, Bo broke the ice and the relationship that grew out of this conversation soon spawned a Haunted Attraction that would be known as The Horror Show.

After the convention, the new acquaintances went their separate ways with the intention of working together on a future commercial Haunt. Andrew’s vision was to create an attraction as big and professional as possible on a small budget. Looking for a chance to prove themselves in the industry, FearMakers agreed to build the props and sets at cost. Soon the threesome began brainstorming about ideas for Andrew’s attraction. He wanted to create an experience that was both scary and entertaining. Several sites for the attraction were scouted, but circumstances and money kept Andrew from giving the green light to start production. It was June before Andrew had the capital that he needed and time was no longer an ally. No sets were built, no theme or characters were developed, and no location had been locked down yet. “Given the lack of time we had to plan,” recalls Bo, “I advised Andrew to keep the theme simple and base the attraction on horror movies.” Andrew finally found a vacant movie theater in downtown Marietta with an owner who was willing to work with him. It seemed to be the perfect venue for a movie based horror attraction. Within days the Colony Theatre was under contract and the construction could begin.

With the location locked in, measurements of the useable space were taken and the basic flow of the patrons was worked out. A long list of workable horror movies was considered and sixteen were chosen for having the best usable scares. FearMakers began work on props and effects to fill the various rooms from the six-foot tall beast puppet in Poltergeist to an animatronic bed from The Exorcist. All of the sets and effects were created from scratch. Only one prop was purchased off the shelf for the entire attraction, the rest were custom built by Bo and Ty.

While the FearMakers were working on the props and effects, Andrew was developing a marketing plan. First he contacted Creep Factory to do the artwork. From that artwork, Andrew created a variety of printed materials to be distributed to businesses, movie theaters, and various locations. A booth was purchased at the local Washington County Fair, highlighting the coming attraction. Andrew used his web design skills to produce a web site for the event and begin selling advance tickets and T-shirts online. Sponsors were contacted, and Andrew arranged for Domino’s to supply pizzas to his staff every night of operation. Three popular radio stations in the area began running spots for the event and the local trolley tours co-opted with The Horror Show to begin and end their Haunted Trolley Tour right in front of the Colony Theatre. The marquee over the entrance doors was changed to read, “COMING SOON: THE HORROR SHOW.” The buzz around the Mid-Ohio Valley was hard to miss, even months before opening night.

After the set pieces and props were finished, it was time to build the walls. The theatre had been vacant since 1985 and everything in the building was left cluttered and unorganized. A major cleanup of the Colony had to be completed before the construction could begin. Running close to budget, Andrew then signed up over thirty volunteers to fill various roles throughout each night of operation. By opening night each scene was set up and ready to rock with a separate soundtrack from the actual movie the scene represented. Lighting effects, strobes and smoke effects were arranged to best light the scenes. A script had been written (for the opening scene anyway) and with actors in place, the doors to Andrew’s vision opened on time.

The resulting 17-room, 6,000 square foot attraction included theatrics, startle scares, animations, detailed sets and themed decorations. After the smoke cleared on October 31st. The Horror Show had entertained three times the number of people than its predecessor, and has already generated great interest in this year’s event.

In 1947 the Welsh family purchased the Colony Theatre. The father, Stuart, and his two sons, Angus and William, operated the theatre during its prime. They owned the most luxurious theatre around and played host to Hollywood premieres and extravagant Broadway musicals and plays. The Welsh family quickly became very popular and rubbed elbows with the city’s rich and famous. But by 1960, television had made its way into ninety percent of all homes and by the 70’s there were multiple screen theatres showing up everywhere. Fewer people were appearing at the theatre. Forced to show low budget horror movies, the Welshs were slowly headed toward bankruptcy. In an effort to increase attendance, the Welshs tried to give their audiences the “Ultimate Scare.” Lead by William, a.k.a. Crazy Willie, the youngest son and the theatre’s projectionist, they would act out scenes from their favorite horror movies on the audience. Several patrons turned up missing and were believed to have met their ends at the hands of the Welsh family. After a brief investigation in 1985 over the disappearance of several patrons, the FBI shut down the theatre. The father and oldest son were sent to prison, but the youngest son, “Crazy Willie,” was never found.

The beauty of the Colony Theatre is that it actually is an old theatre and a perfect location to hold a Haunt based on horror movies. Above the entrance is a large, illuminated marquee that reads, “NOW SHOWING: THE HORROR SHOW.” Adjoining the entrance is an old brick box office where tickets are purchased from a theatre worker dressed in a white Oxford, green vest and bow tie. Even inside there is little evidence that you have entered into nothing more than a traditional cinema. The walls are lined with movie posters and the air is filled with the smells of popcorn and candy offered at the concession stand. Guests are greeted by ushers dressed in vests and ties. In the queue line, Halloween songs and the occasional lobby ghoul entertain patrons amidst Horror Show safety instructions.

As you begin your tour you and nineteen other patrons are directed up the stairs to the theatre’s balcony. On your way up to the balcony you notice walls with chipped plaster and other signs of an old run-down building. The hallway up to the balcony is dark, but still there is little indication that you are inside a Haunted Attraction. In the balcony yet another usher greets you, this time in a gold vest and tie, and escorts you into the balcony seats. You notice hundreds of empty seats all around you, many torn and weathered by the years. Directly behind you is a darkened, vacant projection booth where projectionists once threaded thousands of feet of film for the audiences’ viewing pleasure.

After everyone is seated the usher asks you to “Please make yourselves comfortable” for the start of the show, but before you can even wiggle into the leather seat a wild-looking, pale-faced man in a dusty old tuxedo dashes down from the dark projection room, much to your surprise and everyone else’s, and shouts, “But not too comfortable!” He introduces himself as “Crazy Willie” and begins a short and humor filled monologue about his family and their attempt to perfect the “Ultimate Scare.” He tells how the Feds came in and shut them down before they perfected their experiment in fear and that his father and brother were sent to prison, but he escaped by hiding out in the abandoned theatre. As he describes sharing food with the river rats that infest the Colony Theatre, blasts of air move across the ankles of the patrons simulating the rats running around below the chairs. Many patrons practically jump out of their seats but Willie maintains his composure and continues. He explains that it was not bankruptcy or a dysfunctional family that drove him to madness, but rather the spirits that Haunt the theatre. You feel peculiar drops fall on your head as Willie tells of how the spirits make the walls and ceilings drip blood and keep him up all hours of the night. He informs you that the spirits kept him going working on his experiment in fear and that now, “after fifteen long years it is complete,” he proclaims, “and you are to be my next victim…er, um…guest.”

As Crazy Willie’s speech ends, you are greeted by his minion who ushers the patrons out one row at a time into the twisting corridors to come face-to-face with scenes from famous horror films. When Willie calls your row, you exit the balcony and begin your self-guided tour through the Horror Show. Down the first hallway you see the flicker of static on a TV screen. As you approach the room, you hear Carol Ann cry out from the ceiling above. Just as you realize you are in Poltergeist, the lights go out. For a moment you are disoriented until a strobe light comes on and you are face-to-face with a six foot Beast puppet. A fan from below blows his wispy hair as he turns his head and roars at you. Next you enter a living room scene. The phone rings and the caller asks “What’s your favorite scary movie?” Before you can turn, the robed slasher from Scream lashes out at you and chases you into Regan’s bedroom. The green light accentuates her possessed makeup. She utters moans and mumbles under a demonic voice before going into a trance-like state. Her bed begins to rock and shake under her possession.

Turning the corner, you are transported into the hallway of the Overlook Hotel. On your right is the door of the haunted room 237 and as you turn the corner you see a wall with the inscription, “REDRUM”. Next to you is a door with part of it axed out, just big enough for Jack Torrance’s face. “Here’s Johnny!” he growls as he attempts to unlock the door. Your only safe passage is through Amityville. You hear the sounds of flies and feel them pass by your head and face as the house shouts for you to, “Get out!” Next you pass through a ten-foot sphinx facade. The Egyptian chants from the Book of the Dead give heed a warning about entering the Mummy’s lair, but you are forced down into the forbidden tomb. Hanging burlap covers your path and you must navigate through the shredded fabric. You walk into a chamber where a sarcophagus rests against the wall. Just as your path clears, the Mummy bursts out of his tomb and pursues you down the hall. There is a brief rest as you make your way to the lab of Dr. Frankenstein, exultant now that his creation is almost complete. His Frankenstein monster stands chained to the upright table, at first he appears to be a prop until Dr. Frankenstein throws the switch to the strobe, causing the monster to lunge out from the table. The chains rattle loudly against the table as the monster comes alive! Dr. Frankenstein laughs hideously as you are chased out of the scene. You now enter a scene draped in red curtains. A coffin sits on a table surrounded by candles. Either you just entered a funeral home or this scene is from Dracula. You peer into the coffin but it appears to be empty. Then out of the shadows he spreads open his cape and hisses. He welcomes you into his castle, but all you can think of is finding a way out.

“One… two… Freddy’s coming for you…” plays as you enter the next scene. Red light reflects in a smoke filled tunnel giving it a hot, steamy look. Before you walk up the ramp into the tunnel, Freddy storms in and stomps on the steel grate. He directs you into the boiler and as you make your way through, the floor rattles and shakes violently beneath you as if you were burning up inside it. Exiting the boiler you feel as if you are in outer space. Walls and ceilings are lined with black corrugated pipe. Red beacon lights and strobes fill the room, which has several pod like eggs on the floor. Around the next corner you are met by Ripley, who mistakes you for an alien and blasts you with her gun. She realizes her mistake and warns you of the infested area. Suddenly, an alien hiding in the darkness jumps out. As you round the corner you see a battered young girl lying on the floor. She pleads for help, but as you reach for her a sliding door slams open and Leatherface charges out with his chainsaw screaming. He grabs the young girl who now reaches out for you to save her but is pulled in the room with Leatherface. You exit into the woods where Blair Witch stick men hang from trees and Heather and Mike cry out for “Josh!” On to the moors of Proctor, England as CCR plays Bad Moon Rising. Before you can shake a leg, it is almost bitten off by the American Werewolf in London. Your next stop is Camp Crystal Lake. The highly detailed cabin facades are a sure sign Jason Voorhees is close. While both cabins look similar, only one hides the hockey-masked slasher of the Friday the 13th series. To escape the machete-wielding maniac you run toward a house in the distance. The lit jack-o-lantern gives a false impression that this place will provide safe passage. The mailbox on the house reads “1031,” or rather, 10/31… Halloween. As you pass the house you notice The Shape inside. Although you feel safe, everyone knows that in every good slasher movie, no matter how fast you run or drive, the killer is always one step ahead and this horror movie is no different. Just as you approach the tree at the end of the house, Michael Myers is there to greet you with knife in hand. To enter the last scene you pass through a cemetery gate. The smoke rolls down past the tombstones and out of the mausoleums. “They’re coming to get you, Barbara,” comes out of nowhere followed by, “Look, there comes one of them now!” Before you know it the living dead, crawling from graves and crypts, surround you. Your only escape is through the lone mausoleum facade at the end of the cemetery. Once through, an usher guides you back to the lobby and safety….for now! When it is all over you have traveled through sixteen different horror movies and been entertained by one Crazy Willie.