Way Off Broadway opens haunted house Thursday

Way Off Broadway?s cast and crew already suspect the old armory used for their rehearsals is inhabited by things that go bump in the night.

In the days leading up to Halloween, they?ll be haunting the building themselves. The Way Off Broadway Haunted House opens Thursday as a fundraiser for the musical theater company?s upcoming production of ?Jesus Christ Superstar.?

?While we have been installing our house of horror, we ourselves have witnessed an increase in inexplicable activity in the old armory,? executive and artistic director Randy West wrote in a press release. ?We dare you to see for yourself.?

The main floor of the old armory has been transformed into a fun house run by frightful circus clowns. Visitors also will encounter traditional haunted house horrors and explore a maze filled with terrifying sights and sounds ? most created by Way Off Broadway, but a possibly a few provided by the armory itself, West wrote.

The idea for a haunted house was spawned in part by West?s and producer Paul Praither?s annual elaborate yard displays. West had been approached about setting up a haunted house in the past, and the Way Off Broadway board saw potential as a fundraiser.

The naturally occurring, ?interesting noises? in the old armory, located on the corner of B Street and Broadway Avenue, seemed the perfect setting, West said. Owner Paul Glossup donated its use.

?There?s kind of a wonderful ambiance about the place,? West said. ?It seemed like a fun place with a lot of history.?

For the complete article, see the Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010, printed edition of The Fairfield Ledger.