This year, Mr. Putty’s Fun Park began their Halloween event the first weekend of October. The event consists of mostly Winthrop students working as the actors, including junior theatre major Erica Meece.
“There are 15 current students that are actors for this house,” Meece said. “Our last ticket to be sold will be at 9:45 pm and no later than that. FRIGHTMARE is a spooky collection of rooms that hint at some well known horror media characters as well as inclusive of some people’s phobias, like [for] myself, a doll. Not one room is the same and you can never know what to expect from every corner.”
Meece went on to talk about her experience as an actor during this event and how much she enjoys it.
“My favorite part of the entire experience is not only working with my friends but I love getting a reaction from our customers as well,” Meece said.
Being one of the actors, Meece enjoys the sheer volume of reactions from those who attend the event. She went on to explain what she does as an actor in the event.
“I personally gauge the reactions from our customers from the rooms they come in before mine. I am in a room by myself and I play a doll character and I use some different childlike voices and the fog in my room to scare the customers,” she said. “I tend to come out of non-visible corners slowly or eat some children before facing them. My face is generally what frightens them most.”
Meece was asked about how she obtained her part as an actor in the event.
“Our ringleader (manager) of the whole production is currently a graduate student here at Winthrop and has worked with me on multiple occasions as a shop worker and an actor,” she said. “She liked my voices and reached out to me.”
The event is open to everyone and is located in Tega Cay, SC. According to Mr. Putty’s official website, their event is “York County’s only haunted house.” The fun park has haunted activities like the “Open Air Scare Zones, haunted miniature golf, and zombie axe throwing.”
The park charges a general admission fee of $15 that includes admission to the haunted house. Mr. Putty’s Fun Park also has other activities for everyone of all ages to enjoy. In order to host this exciting event Mr. Putty’s Fun Park ensures the safety of its guests with “sanitizing stations throughout the facility” and “hourly disinfecting all common areas.”
According to Meece, “Mr. Putty’s Fun Park FRIGHTMARE Event happens every Friday and Saturday of the month of October (as well as that Thursday of Halloween week- end) starting once the sun sets until 10 pm.”
Photo by Marisa Fields-Williams
