Just like me, walk-ons are those people who seem to magically appear in the middle of the season and just fit into the haunt world, as if they were born to scare. Rarely do walk-ons every really audition. Now, you may be thinking, “but, Jaz, if I don’t audition, how do I get a part?” Well, kids, gather around and let me tell you a little story about how I did just that.
If you’ve been reading the blog since the beginning, you probably know I started off as a volunteer behind the scenes. I was the last person anyone would expect to be and actor. I was quiet, shy, and good at blending into the background. If someone were to describe me, I would be compared to a beige shirt because nobody notices or willingly chooses a beige shirt. It’s that meh color you kinda default to when you’re having a funky day. “Oh, it’s raining outside and I’m feeling fat and hungover? Guess I’ll just pull on this beige shirt.” (Strange tangent, but whatever.) Every night I worked I got to see everyone having fun in the manor and I ached to join them, but I felt it wasn’t my place. I was just going to be quiet and remain under the radar.
On the day of Halloween, I left my regular job at the local party store and headed to Ravenwood Manor. After I finished everyone’s makeup for the night, I knew they had enough helpers so I would be free for the rest of the night. Since it was Halloween, I ran to my car, pulled out my totally not stolen, bought with my own money, expensive and top of the line, five finger discount costume, and hurried back to the makeup room to get all dressed up. The plan was to just walk outside and maybe go through the manor a few times before hunting down a costume party nearby, but something like a spark bursted inside of me. It was as if the veil was lifted. Tonight was the night. One way or another, I was going to act.
I looked down at my costume (a strange, victorian, steampunk dress that is NOT match the theme of Ravenwood what so ever) and tried to concoct a backstory to explain how I would fit in. I sat in the makeup room, waiting for one of the owners to come in so I could ask about acting. I was so pumped on adrenaline that I didn’t even bat an eyelash as Blake and Cain walked into the makeup room. The pair looked rushed, like they were taking a breather before marching back into battle. Of course, I was so blinded by my epiphany that I didn’t think twice as I walked up to them.
“Hi. Um, I was wondering if I could act tonight?” I said, rather excitedly and with a slight bounce in my step. Blake was the first one to bring her attention to me, looking me up and down unable to speak. She looked at Cain with a ‘what do we do?’ look on her face. Cain, on the other hand, gave an annoyed side eye before getting a good look at me. Then his eyebrows raised into the ‘you’ve got some balls, kid’ position they take every so often when something peaks his creative interest. He took a deep breath before he spoke. “Wait here,” he said before they both zoomed off through the manor door.
Suddenly, my stomach dropped into my ass. “What was I thinking?! This isn’t how things work! Oh my god, I just asked the bosses if they could just blindly toss me into their masterpiece. I’m going to destroy their baby. I don’t know what I’m doing! I’m insane!” While my mind spiraled into a panic, I couldn’t stop bouncing and hopping around with excitement. Somewhere in this jumbled mess of emotions, I glanced down and noticed my bright, pink shoes. Of course, during a slight mental breakdown I make the creative choice of kicking those puppies off and acting barefoot. Also, in my excitement, I rushed over to the makeup station to add a few extra touches to my makeup. It was my ‘debut’ after all.
After waiting for ten or so minutes, the duo poked their heads into the makeup room and motioned for me. “Come on. There’s a group coming.Follow us. We have to be quick,” they hissed as I rushed to them and they began to usher me through the manor. I could see the confusion on every actors’ face as we passed, creating a semi-permanent grin on my face. (Yes. I am one of you now. Muhaha.) As we made our way through The Master’s Study, I noticed Cain stop for a brief moment, as if a lightbulb went off, and back track to grab a book. I was curious what that was about, but I had no time to ask as they rushed me along.
Finally, we managed to sneak into the chosen spot, which wasn’t actually a spot built to accommodate an actor. Blake stood as a lookout as Cain positioned me at the end of a long hallway in the Attic of the manor. “Okay. Take this,” he said as he raised the book for me to see it, “and hold it in front of you with your head down.” He demonstrated the ‘I swear I’m reading this book’ pose. “When you see a group coming halfway down the hall, start walking slowly toward them while reading the book.” I nodded as I watched him walk to the center of the hall. “You’re going to walk past them and when you get here,” SLAM! “close the book and run around the corner giggling.” He walked to me and plopped the book in my hands. “You got that?” I gave a nod and began to open my mouth to ask a question, but he cut me off, “Okay, show me.” Just like that, he walked to the other end of the hallway and he and Blake began to walk toward me.
With a deep breath and nerves filling ever inch of my being, I waited for my cue before replicating motion for motion everything Cain did. Once I finished, I poked my head around the corner to see him nodding his head. “Alright. That’s good. Blake, let’s go,” and they vanished deeper into the manor. So, there I stood, alone in the dark attic, but as an actor at Ravenwood Manor.
After the first few groups, I became used to the actions and timing of the role. I got some good scared and I was having a lot of fun, but I knew I could do more. As the groups continued to come through, my giggles turned into laughter. The laughter soon turned into manically laughing and muttering, then evolved into whispering in peoples’ ears. What was once vanishing around the corner, I replaced with vanishing before slowly creeping back around the corner to follow them for another scare. I’d add a few flares in there too, including dropping the book loudly on the floor or letting my hand drag along the wall as my nails made a cringeworthy sound as they scraped along the old, rotted wood. I started the night as a simple ghost in the attic, but was now a spirit, trapped and tormented into insanity, forever cursed to hide in the attic to escape the master’s murderous tendencies.
For the last leg of this tale, it’s important to know that Cain is impossible to scare. As the master of horror and creator of nightmares in the haunt world, Cain had seen it all and everyone knew it. So, as I did my part in my lonely spot, I didn’t think twice when I saw Cain make his way down the hall on a surprise walk through. So, as I’d been doing all night, I began to walk toward him, book in hand. Looking at his phone, he didn’t even notice me as I approached. Once I was a few inches away from him, I slammed the book shut, letting out a blood curdling laugh. For the first and only time in my life, I heard him let out a scream as he took a few steps back. Disappearing around the corner, I could hear him cursing at me and himself. Now, with a devious smirk, I crept out from the corner and began to follow him. I let my hand drag along the wall before dropping the book with a loud thud. He turned back to see me looking at him with dead eyes. “Oh shit,” he said softly before laughing at the situation and turning to walk again. Taking this moment out of his view, I rushed behind him and, on my tip toes, whispered into his ear, “Where do you think you’re going?” before bursting into laughter and retreating backwards with a dancing sway in my steps. He let out another round of cursing and laughing as he turned to watch me. I remember seeing a smirk on his face and hearing a, chuckling “You’re good,” before he continued on.
In the world of acting, if your director doesn’t say much to you, then you’re doing perfect. So, his small and subtle response was all I needed to feel a rush of excitement that sent me bouncing off the walls, giggling with a sense of accomplishment. I wasn’t bad. I wasn’t ruining anything. I was actually doing something right for once. When everything was over, I didn’t want to leave. If I could, I would’ve just packed my bags and moved into the attic. It was my attic now. It was the first place I truly felt good about myself.
That night was always a memory I kept secret. I didn’t want anyone knowing I basically barged my way into acting. I didn’t want anyone to follow my bad habit. I didn’t want anyone to know how mushy and sentimental I was about that interaction with my bosses. It was a story and a moment I could keep as my own. My time as the ghost in the attic. A role that never existed at Ravenwood Manor until me.
In later years, I learned that I wasn’t the only person who held that memory in high regards. For Cain, that night was a pivotal stepping stone in our working relationship. It was the moment he first saw potential in me. It gave him peace of mind when he allowed me to fill in roles the next year.
I’m all for professionalism and waiting for auditions to roll around as opposed to just showing up and expecting to get a role, but the funny thing about haunt is that there’s no one way to do things. It’s not an exact science. Walk-on actors are a rare and special breed of actors. Volunteers may fade, but walk-ons will always remain. We, as actors and haunters should never be afraid to take chances. If I hadn’t taken life by the balls and said, “No, I’m not staying in the dark. Halloween is MY night. I’m gonna act.” I probably wouldn’t be where I am today. I wouldn’t have been as involved as I am in haunt. I would never have gotten to play Miss Kofsky. I would have never started this podcast. I would have probably remained on the side lines, too scared to try.
A good haunt will know how to cherish their walk-on actors. Yeah, the ones that killed it at their auditions and the returning stars from previous seasons are a pretty high priority, but there will always be a diamond in the rough that appears when least expected. I’ve been hyping up auditions all month, but sometimes the best advice to prepare you for your journey into haunt is don’t overthink everything. Take a breath. Find what you want to do. Do it. Not everyone can be the Hermione Granger of haunt with a twenty page monologue. Sometimes we need a Harry Potter who just kind of stumbles into their fate.
So, here I am, tipping my hat to you, walk-on haunters. You may have joined the haunt world under strange and odd circumstances, but now you're home.
Until next time, stay spooky and happy hauntings.
From your Wicked Witch of the South
Jaz
If you want to join the Spook Squad, be sure to check us out at facebook.com/southernspooks.haunt or follow us on Instagram and Twitter @southernspooks. You can also read everything you hear here at southernspooks.blogspot.com. And don’t forget to check back every Tuesday for your weekly dose of haunt. You can find the Southern Spooks podcast online for free at www.southernspooks.blogspot.com or on iTunes.
If you want to join the Spook Squad, be sure to check us out at facebook.com/southernspooks.haunt or follow us on Instagram and Twitter @southernspooks. You can also read everything you hear here at southernspooks.blogspot.com. And don’t forget to check back every Tuesday for your weekly dose of haunt. You can find the Southern Spooks podcast online for free at www.southernspooks.blogspot.com or on iTunes.
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