So you passed the audition, filled out your paperwork, and are now the newest scareactor at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights. You are probably full of excitement, anticipation and more than a few nerves. You have no idea what role you might have or what to expect, and you can’t wait to get started.
Both my dad and I have been scareactors at different times. While every year and every location is a little bit different, the basics of being a great scareactor are timeless. Here are some insider tips for doing an exceptional job, keeping your coworkers and bosses happy, and giving the guests an experience they will never forget.
1. Pay attention at rehearsal
Set PiecesIncorporate your set and props into your scares.
You will probably get one rehearsal, plus employee preview night. Rehearsal is a busy, exciting, exhausting evening. You will learn everything from where and when to check in for performances to the entire back story of your house or street scare zone. Your cast will have some sort of warm-up activity, such as crawling all over the back lot pretending to be a horde of zombies. Don’t be offended if your performance coach gives you tips and suggestions during this time – the performance coaches are highly talented HHN experts, and their advice is generally spot on.
The evening culminates with your introduction to your specific spot in the house or street zone, and some tips on using your set and props to build more effective scares. Then the performance coach, stage manager and assistant stage manager will walk through a few times. This is your time to shine. Pretend they are regular park guests and give them a full-out performance. They probably won’t react, but they will give you feedback on how you did.
Employee preview night is the last chance to tweak things before the paying public arrives. That night, the houses and street scare zones are open only to Universal employees and their invited guests. It is a sort of technical rehearsal, and your chance to see how your scares play to an audience. You’ll probably have a short cast meeting at the end to talk about any issues that arose.
These two nights are physically and emotionally exhausting, but are absolutely essential to a successful run. Remember to breathe, listen carefully and take it all in. Consider bringing a notebook to write down any important points. Take it seriously but don’t forget to have fun with it – if you’re not enjoying yourself, neither will anyone else.
2. Dress comfortably
Typical CostumeWhen you’re wearing this, you want your underlayers to be cool and comfortable!
You will need to wear some form of clothing underneath your costume. Rules on eating, drinking and smoking in costume seem to change without warning, and you never know when a costume piece might get damaged, requiring you to change it out on the fly. Keep yourself as cool and comfortable as possible by choosing clothes in lightweight, breathable fabrics. My go-to outfit was always shorts and a tank top. At the beginning of the run, it was still hot, and I didn’t want to sweat out my costume. As the weather got cooler towards the end of the run, I still wore shorts, but I carried a jacket every night. Sometimes I wore the jacket over my costume backstage between sets, and sometimes I saved it for the end of the night.
3. Hydrate and eat
Actors at the AleHouseThe nearby AleHouse is a popular after-work hangout.
Every HHN house and street scare zone has two casts, known as A and B. The casts switch out throughout the night, typically on a 45-minute rotation. When I started, 45 minutes on and 45 minutes off seemed like a cushy, incredibly easy rotation. I quickly learned that it is necessary for the actors’ physical health. When you are going that hard, pushing yourself to the limits to always get the best possible scare, you tend to come off set dripping in sweat and absolutely exhausted.
Take advantage of every break to hydrate and eat. The stage manager and assistant stage manager are generally very aware of their actors’ needs, and will stock your break room with free Gatorade and candy. I was fortunate that a snack vendor selling everything from hot dogs to brownies was set up just outside my break trailer, and the employee cafeteria was just a short walk away. I’m a skinny girl, but through the entire run, I ate like a teenage boy!
4. Assess your surroundings
Close QuartersIn quarters this tight, you need to assess everyone’s position to avoid collisions.
There’s an old HHN actors’ saying: It isn’t really HHN until you are hit by a guest at least once. While that’s a bit extreme, it is true that being a scareactor carries an element of risk to both you and the guest. You can’t plan for everything, but constantly assessing your surroundings is the key to minimizing the risk.
Being a good scareactor means getting into people’s personal space and inducing a fear reaction. Everyone responds differently to fear, from freezing in place to running away. Some people flail their arms or even punch in the direction of the fright. You must constantly calculate your position, your target’s position, both people’s escape routes, and what your options are for any guest reaction.
In addition, some incidents are bound to occur just due to the tight, disorienting spaces inside the haunted houses. While visiting as a guest, my dad was once accidentally stabbed in the hand by a scareactor! Dad was in a house, pushing back some of the hanging material that blocked his way. At the same moment, a scareactor came out of a “boo hole” wielding a wooden prop knife. They just happened to collide in such a way that the tip of the knife went into Dad’s hand. It only took a couple of stitches, a tetanus shot and a trip to the hand surgeon for X-rays, but Dad actually gave the actor a positive comment for his quick, professional response to the situation. In that particular scenario, there was nothing else the actor could have done, but it emphasizes the importance of always being aware.
5. Impact all types
Everyone Deserves a ScareBe sure to avoid stereotypes when choosing your targets.
People of all ages, types and levels of physical health go to Halloween Horror Nights. All are there for the same reason—to immerse themselves in the fear. Yet for some reason, some scareactors will only go after certain “types,” such as young blonde girls or Latina women or older men. Others have one “type” that they refuse to target, such as a group of teenage boys or someone in a wheelchair. Yes, young girls typically scream and run—except for the ones who don’t. Yes, groups of teenage boys can be obnoxious—except for the ones who aren’t. Stereotyping your guests is unfair to them, to your team, and ultimately to you as a scareactor.
I like the easy scares as much as anyone, but it is so much more satisfying to nail the tough ones. One night about halfway through the run, my performance coach walked through accompanied by a few Universal executives. Even though he had placed me where I was in the house, it was an unusual spot and he completely forgot I was there. I decided to target him, and he screamed and literally fell backwards into the exec behind him, setting off a domino effect! That was easily my most satisfying scare of the run.
As for the disabled community, I have seen people show up in wheelchairs, on ECVs, on crutches, and even one man on a stretcher! They might have gone to extraordinary lengths just to be able to attend, and they deserve the full experience. Make their night by giving them a great scare!
6. “Boo and skidoo”
Going in for the ScareScare your intended target, then back away quickly.
The key to a scare that is both safe and successful is the element of surprise. Some scareactors prefer quick, staccato movements, while others do a creepy “staring and stalking” routine. Both work when done right, but both fall flat when your target is given time to analyze what is happening. Getting out of the way quickly also minimizes the time you spend in your target’s personal space, decreasing the risk of injury to either of you.
Universal’s official term for this is “Boo and Skidoo.” Plan your scare, implement it, and disappear again. Avoid the temptation to keep going after the same person, no matter how much you might both be enjoying it. Of course, if he or she comes back to you later in the night, it is fine to do a brand-new scare. But in the moment, know when to let up and allow the person to move on.
7. Be a team player
Chainsaw Drill TeamThe Chainsaw Drill Team must function as a unit.
Remember that everything you do reflects on your entire cast, your stage managers, your performance coach, and ultimately the event itself. Honor your commitment by showing up on time, staying late if requested, and working with your team. Inside your house or scare zone, look for opportunities to make other actors look good. For example, “tag team” scares can be quite effective. One person acts as a distraction, while the other sneaks up on the target. Avoid hogging the scene or diminishing your partner’s contributions.
8. Give it your all
Scare ZoneBeing a great scareactor means giving it your all, no matter what.
Being a scareactor is a fantastic job, but some nights simply won’t go your way. I once had to work in the middle of a land-falling hurricane. It had been pouring rain, freezing cold and windy for hours. There were only a few thousand guests in the park. It was my coworker’s birthday, and we found out we couldn’t celebrate it at CityWalk after work as planned, because CityWalk shut down at 10 p.m. due to the storm—yet they decided to keep HHN open until midnight. On top of everything else, our break trailer was being used by TNA wrestlers who were filming that night on another soundstage. So every 45 minutes, my cast had to walk across the park in the freezing rain to another break area we were sharing with another house. It was a truly miserable night.
I was feeling sorry for myself when I remembered an old theater adage: If just one person buys a ticket and comes to your show, he paid his money and deserves the best performance you can possibly give. I forced myself to think about the guests who were also battling the elements. Maybe they were from another state or even another country, and this was the only night they could come. Maybe they paid thousands of dollars for their vacation, only to receive a partial event (for safety reasons, street scare zones and live shows are canceled in severe weather). They paid their money, and they deserved a full show.
I pulled myself together and shared my thoughts with some of my cast. We resolved to give the performance of our lives that night, to try to do what we could to make the guests feel better. It turned out to be a really fun night! The ridiculous conditions actually enhanced the spooky atmosphere, and the guests that persevered were amped up and eager for a good scare. I’m glad we were able to give them that, and it certainly was a night to remember.
No one ever said being a scareactor was easy. It doesn’t pay much and there are a lot of expectations. But with dedication, hard work, and a great attitude, it can be one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have.
