Castle Blood: Where the Pros Come to Play
Chris Handa
Once upon a time, a group of entertainment
industry professionals with a passion for Halloween and fantasy,
several students and apprentices of various entertainment art
disciplines, and a supportive crew of local folk gathered in a location
that already had a strange history. The result of this melding of
creative and hard-working minds and muscle was Castle Blood, a Haunted
Attraction that for the past ten years has set the pace for the
haunting branch of the entertainment industry. On Main Street (Route
40) in Beallsville, PA, three houses up from the only traffic light on
route 40 between Washington, PA, and the town of Brownsville, is the
fulltime residence, sometimes premiere Halloween destination just
thirty miles due South of Pittsburgh.
Karen
Schnaubelt was a native Californian from the San Diego area, and the
daughter of Star Trek icon Franz Joseph, author of the original Star
Trek Technical Manual. Karen’s earliest recollections of creating
costumes go as far back as a trick-or-treat outfit at the age of nine.
Karen and her friends created costumes for Halloween, Sci-Fi
conventions and a Hawaiian Dance Team through high school. She
graduated from San Diego State University with a post-graduate degree
in Anthropology with an emphasis on Archeology, and was particularly
interested in Egyptian and Mayan cultures. Karen founded the Fantasy
Costumers’ Guild in 1982 and organized the first Costume-Con in 1983.
She was the editor/author of The Whole Costumers’ Catalogue (currently
out of print) and has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the
International Costumers’ Guild. Like many of us, Karen started Haunting
by turning a bedroom into a Haunted House and forcing friends and
relatives to walk through it.
Ricky Dick was raised in the New York suburb of New Jersey and began
his interest in costuming through a group within the Boy Scouts of
America, the Order of the Arrow, a Native American Dance Team. Ricky
was drawn to Halloween and horror though the famous extravaganzas put
on by Bob Burns and company, countless hours spent on the boardwalks
and tourist areas of the Jersey Shore, and the typical barrage of
Universal monster movies. For a short time, Ricky owned and operated
his own costume shop as well as worked as a professional clown in New
Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. In 1985, Ricky founded the NY/NJ
Costumers’ Guild and has been recognized with numerous regional,
national, and international awards for his work. In addition to
costuming, Ricky has a passion for model building and architecture,
interests that serve him well as a Haunted Attraction designer.
In 1986 the International Costumers’ Guild (www.costume.org) absorbed
both of the organizations founded by Karen and Ricky. Individually the
two had gained national notoriety as costumers and in 1989 the two
joined forces, moved to Maryland, and began collaborating on costume
projects. Together, they received a second place in performance at the
World Clown Convention in 1993 and numerous other awards at costume
events all around the country. Combined, Karen and Ricky have won Best
in Show at Costume-Con three times, and both are featured in the Thom
Boswell book, The Costume Maker’s Art (Lark Books, 1992).
In 1991 Karen and Ricky were married. At the time the two were on the
road most of the year, and they moved their base of operations to the
less expensive state of Pennsylvania, buying an infamous house in which
they live to this day. The residence they purchased once belonged to
“Doc” Weaver, a colorful town character who worked at several odd
professions, including faith healer, deacon of the town church, and
chiropractor (one of the first in the area). Some town folk say that
“Doc” was very respected in the area and even listed some of the
Pittsburgh Steelers football players as patients. Others will tell you
that he was a con man who robbed people and the town of money and
resources. Either way, the house definitely has a history of unique
inhabitants, the most recent being Karen and Ricky Dick, and a host of
others who only seem to show their faces in October each year. The
residence has served as home and base of operations for Ricky and Karen
since 1991.
Western Pennsylvania has long been known as an area that celebrates
Halloween with elaborate decoration. Yard and porch displays are the
norm there, especially on high-traffic roads through residential areas.
“When your home is over 100 years old, looks like it is haunted anyway
and already has an interesting early history, you have a great reason
to decorate at Halloween,” explains Karen. At one time, what is now
Castle Blood “was merely an extreme version of a yard display, complete
with costumes worn by us, friends, and neighbors who just wanted to
have some fun and get others into the spirit on Halloween night.”
The first years’ decorations were “generic Halloween stuff.” Year two
was more elaborate with a pirate theme, and the attraction has
continued to increase in complexity every year since. Friends and
neighbors joined in the effort including some from out of state, such
as Thomas and Kitty Kuhr and their son Tommy (friends from clown
conventions), and Carol Salemi, an award-winning costumer from the
Sci-Fi/Fantasy costuming circuit. Neighbor and famous clown Steve
“Peachey Keene” Long and several members of his family have also been a
part of the fun since the “Pre-Castle” days of Halloween night yard
haunting. It was during the second Halloween in Beallsville that the
ideas that eventually evolved into Castle Blood were born.
The house sits on a hill, high above the sidewalk and road. Ricky and
the others overheard some children call the house a castle, planting
the seeds of an idea. “Castle Blood just seemed appropriate,” explains
Ricky, “though in hindsight, in this area, it makes people think [our
haunt] is gory,” which, in fact, it is not.
With the name came a vampyre theme and the overall “legend” of Castle
Blood. That year, Ricky and Karen came up with Blood Rites, a
competition piece for costume convention masquerades. The piece
depicted the wedding of vampyres Alexander and Anastasia (played by
Ricky and Karen) and garnered them two Best in Show awards (Balticon, a
regional convention and Costume-Con, an international convention) as
well as a workmanship award for Best Design (also at Costume-Con). The
awards were nice, but Blood Rites provided a great deal more. It
created the “history” of Castle Blood, and more importantly it set the
standard and style for costuming and makeup for all years to follow.
At the time, there was no plan to adopt Castle Blood as a formal name.
There were several other ideas for (non-vampyre) themes planned for the
yard extravaganza. This included a cast of characters and a lighter
theme more reminiscent of the television version of The Addams Family.
The core characters, Gravely and Grizelda MacCabre (also played by
Ricky and Karen), would become the focus of another part of the
backstory, transform into trademark characters for Ricky and Karen, and
create another defining costume/makeup style for Castle Blood.
Each year, the themes evolve from the four core characters and their
stories. The premise remains the same, but each theme is highlighted
with a new title and series of talismans that “Mortals” (Castle Blood
term for patrons) must find with the help of or despite the obstacles
put in place by the “Denizens” (Castle Blood term for cast members).
For example, the 1997 theme, entitled Love and Death, required mortals
to search for the ring, the rose, and the ruby; and last year’s Shadows
of Decadence tour required the location of the diamond, the dagger, and
the deadly asp. (For the naming of the talismans, alliteration is not a
requirement, but it definitely is a plus.)
Everything must make sense within the context of the backstory in order
for each years’ theme to work. There are no areas within the castle
that are there “just because.” The background of each character is
carefully fit within the framework of both the current tour and the
history of Castle Blood. Areas that come and go every few years, such
as the lab and Egyptian areas, are incorporated into the story so that
the reason for having such areas within Castle Blood makes sense. Even
the fact that mortals pay admission to visit Castle Blood three
weekends a year is incorporated into the storyline.
Castle Blood’s Halloween Adventure Tours ™ are guided, interactive
experiences that occur during the last three weekends in October. In
addition, Ricky offers a post-season get-together where haunters may
come to see the attraction via a lights-on tour and then a second tour
with all of the lighting and effects working, as well as a couple of
Denizens to help provide atmosphere. Guides accompany groups of eight
throughout most of the tour, stopping along the way to tell the story,
or to interact with other Denizens. Mortals are sometimes left to fend
for themselves, and must make decisions as to which Denizens they
should trust and actions they should (or should not) perform in order
to lead them closer to their goal of capturing the three correct
talismans. Most stops involve live actors, but electric and pneumatic
props and some sophisticated animatronic items are also used to startle
and surprise unsuspecting mortals.
The current tour takes mortals through 15 rooms and scenes, to their
eventual “judgement” in The Farewell Room. Here, a Denizen (usually
female) will ask mortals about their journey to see if they have
captured each talisman and a “special something” that all groups must
have in order to win the game. Those who have correctly completed their
tasks (and thus “won the game”) are named Honorary Vampyres for the
season and given their own fangs to mark the occasion. Those who are
less fortunate are encouraged to come back and try again, now that they
have an idea of what to expect. The entire tour takes a “normal” group
25-30 minutes, and each group is given enough time to take in the
scenery of each area. Many mortals do not see enough the first time
through, or come back to complete the game correctly, and it is not
unusual to see the same faces two or more times each season. This gives
the guides and set actors the added challenge of interacting
differently with each repeat group to keep the experience fresh, even
in the context of the same season.
This flexibility does not present as much of a challenge as one would
think. Most Castle Blood Denizens are veteran performers who have
either worked several seasons in the shadow of Castle Blood, or are
performers of note on their own. Past Denizens include Ringling
Brothers Clown College graduates, television personalities,
professional radio commercial actors, acting majors, and magicians.
Many of these people travel from New England, Virginia, New York,
Illinois, and other areas just to play at Castle Blood. Add to that the
expertise of engineers, professional costumers, makeup artists,
hairstylists, and set designers/artists, and you have one extremely
talented crew that can dress and train the rookies that also happen
along each season.
Each year, 15% of the sets are redone so that returning mortals “have
something new to fear” as well as complement the challenge of the new
game. Usually, the new areas are also “game piece” areas in which
either an item required to gain a talisman or a talisman itself may be
obtained. Scenes from the 2002 tour included The Reaper’s Realm, The
Dungeon of the Vampyrates, and last year’s new addition, The Cavern of
the Ice Spirits.
The Cavern incorporates fog and lighting effects, detailing, and good
acting on the part of the Ice Spirits and the guides in a manner that
produces some very interesting results. Walls are painted white with
blue lights, and detailing makes the walls appear to be covered with
ice and snow. Most of the tour, including the Cavern, is outside and
under cover of various outbuildings. A few Denizens and many, many
mortals commented that they “noticed an extreme temperature difference”
between the Cavern and the rest of the castle, including other outside
portions of the haunt, yet this is all in their imagination.
Castle Blood is not a “blood and gore” haunt, and that confuses some
people. Dr. Tom Drewitz, local dentist and prominent area citizen,
comments: “I didn’t know that something like this could be so elegant.”
Not a typical exit survey response for a haunt, but it is a typical
response from Castle Blood Mortals. The cast and loyal customers of
Castle Blood are not your typical haunt audience either. “The Castle is
not for everyone, and that’s fine,” says Ricky. “In fact, our customers
like it that way. They’re glad to have a place as different as this to
go, and enjoy the chance to do something different that not everybody
knows about.” Some customers have labeled Castle Blood as The Thinking
Man’s Haunt, so much so that a local high school English teacher would
ask for a copy of each year’s script so that she could incorporate
words used at Castle Blood into her vocabulary lessons!
There is some pride in the tradition of staying a bit ahead of other
haunts in the area by incorporating unique themes, effects, and
techniques while avoiding traditional stereotypes associated with the
average Haunted House. Castle Blood does not usually have the “latest
and greatest” animatronic or pneumatic prop, but it often has utilized
a concept a year or more before it is seen in other Haunted
Attractions, usually to greater effect. The best example: the
introduction of 3-D to the haunt community.
In 1999, Castle Blood was the first in the region to offer 3-D
walkthrough effects with Curse of the Voodoo Queen. Ricky started by
totally avoiding the stereotypical clown/circus theme and breaking the
“flat wall rule” of painting effects only on flat surfaces. The area
utilized Chromadepth technology, but re-defined perceptions of the
effectiveness of 3-D with the drybrushing of reactive paint on textured
surfaces and props, mixing props (pneumatic and static) with live
actors, and some serious experimentation with 3-D makeup techniques. A
year later, both the local concert venue and the local family
entertainment center that offered seasonal Haunted Attractions featured
3-D walkthroughs with a circus theme and standard 3-D effects painted
onto flat surfaces. Meanwhile, Castle Blood was already in its second
season with a 3-D area as a main feature, and Ricky was busy further
refining the 3-D technique while fielding inquiries to “do 3-D” for
attractions all across the country!
Ricky is constantly planning future themes, new areas, and costumes for
Castle Blood. Many of these “have been in the works for two years or
more,” explains Ricky. “In fact, we’ve been shopping at TransWorld for
our Asian area for at least that long. The Ice Spirits area goes back
as far as a costume competition in 1992. We’re always looking to
incorporate ideas not seen in the mainstream into the castle.” The
Asian area will replace The Tomb of Nasta, Castle Blood’s most recent
Egyptian-themed area, for the 2003 season. Costumes and many set pieces
are already complete, and Ricky anticipates a smooth build-in of this
area over the summer months.
In addition to consulting and producing their own show, Ricky and Karen
have two other haunt-related business ventures under the Castle Blood
name. The Castle Blood Haunt Couture line of upscale costumes has
greatly impacted the haunting industry fashion and standards since the
founding of the company in 1996. Many items in the line are “haunt
showcased” by Denizens of Castle Blood before being offered to
Halloween trade show attendees, amusement parks, and theatrical
productions. The same holds true for the rigid foam architectural
fixtures that complete the detailed sets of Castle Blood, which have
been featured in the Castle Blood Haunt Décor line of products
since Ricky’s establishment of this company in 2001.
All of the above-haunt, costume business, and prop business-are just
the beginning. Ricky and Karen are frequent hosts and presenters at
haunt and costume seminars. Ricky has written a book, The Dollars and
Sense of Small-Market Haunting, and Karen has published fourteen
editions of The Whole Costumers’ Catalogue (both books are currently
out of print). Although they do so much less frequently these days,
they still do “character appearances” and have done so at trade shows,
parades, and special events. Finally, Ricky and Karen hire themselves
out as consultants and on-site installers, working with and for other
names such as Scream Theme Studios and Boneyard Productions. Castle
Blood has even given back to the community by sponsoring a local soccer
team, helping a Cub Scout Resident Camp make props and sets for its
summer program, and collecting food for the local food pantry during
the Halloween season.
Acting at Castle Blood is on a volunteer basis, yet numerous people
inquire each year about joining the effort. “I’ve always said we don’t
find cast members,” jokes Ricky. “Cast members seem to find us.” Once
actors join the crew, they seem have trouble leaving and the low
turnover makes the experience better every year. Most of the 40-plus
people who work each season have been there before and many Castle
Blood veterans proudly wear “wings” on their cast jackets as proof of
over five seasons with the troupe. This core group of experienced
actors has built the lore of Castle Blood into the immersive experience
that it is today.
Denizens who do not have haunter’s skills at the onset will, by the end
of a couple of seasons, have learned the haunting tricks of the trade.
While visiting, veteran haunt actor (and now one of Castle Blood’s
Special Guest Denizens) Dusti Lewars-Poole marveled that “so many of
the cast come in with their props and supplies, open their makeup cases
and just seem to know what to do.” This is no accident. Each Denizen
learns tips from the others, always willing to share their knowledge.
The goal is for each actor to become independent in the preparation of
his/her own character. Those that participate in pre-season
construction receive a similar education, learning some of the finer
points of haunt construction, detailing, and special effects through
hands-on experience.
Recently, Ricky and Karen have gone back to their roots and the roots
of Castle Blood by entering costume competitions again, with instant
success on the regional and international levels. This year’s Court of
the Crimson King masquerade featured Ricky’s daughter Caitlin Dick, as
well as Castle Denizens Denice Giradeau, Carol Salemi, Stephanie
Carrigg-Regan, Bill Baldwin, Marty Gear, and Cody Reuwsaat. The piece
won Best in Show, Workmanship and Best in Show, Overall for
Sci-Fi/Fantasy at the Costume-Con in Chicago, Illinois. Some of the
costumes in this piece will be seen in this year’s brand new Asian area
of Castle Blood.
The interlacing of students and veterans with a passion for Halloween
and fantasy, and melding the disciplines of entertainment art with a
diligent crew of local talent in the residence of the town’s one-time
“black sheep,” makes Castle Blood unique among Haunted Attractions.
People travel from hundreds of miles away to enjoy the experience,
either as Mortals or as Denizens. Not originally haunt enthusiasts,
most of them do not attend other haunt-related events or visit other
Haunted Attractions. They search out this distinctive approach to
entertainment art that just happens to occur during the Halloween
season. Many of the Denizens use up vacation days or take days off from
their day jobs to volunteer for what is recognized as a professional,
hard-working, and award-winning team. Denizens pride themselves in the
attention do detail in the haunt, the story, and their own appearance.
If there is any secret to the success of Castle Blood, it is this
collective dedication to providing a unique form of seasonal
entertainment. Come visit the Castle, and see why year after year so
many choose Beallsville as a Halloween destination.
Chris Handa and wife Kari have been working as Denizens of Castle Blood
since 1998. Also a magician, Chris dresses as Scrye, Castle Blood’s
“Occult Cultural Anthropologist,” and performs Halloween magic for
mortals as line entertainment. Chris has assisted in the design of
magic effects used as parts of the tour, and assists Karen in the
management of front-of-house activities and business. He can be reached
via email at chris.handa@verizon.net or by phone at 412-337-6916.
|
