Students frighten patrons at 13th Gate haunted house - Entertainment - The Daily Reveille - Louis...
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Weather in Baton Rouge 81°F Partially cloudy Students frighten patrons at 13th Gate haunted house By Joey Groner Entertainment Writer Published: Monday, October 3, 2011 Updated: Monday, October 3, 2011 23:10
As Stephanie Cronan quickly makes her way through the backstage area of one of the most well-known haunted houses in the country, only one thing is on her mind. "I really want to know who I'm playing tonight," Cronan says. "I really want to play the vine creature, but I'll have to check with my boss." For Cronan, a French sophomore, every week in October is "dead week." Cronan is one of the many University students who works at The 13th Gate downtown. Cronan maneuvers through the crowded backstage area to reach a line where the actors are informed of their parts for the night. She tries to get her stage manager to agree with her on the vine creature idea, but it's not meant to be. Cronan will instead play the role of the "zombie girlfriend" in Necropolis, the new add-on to The 13th Gate. She explains some cast members complain about having to play certain parts, but she doesn't care. As long as she's working at the haunted house, she's happy. "This is my 13th Gate family," she explains. "This is my second year, and I love it. Halloween wouldn't be the same without it." Troy Brouillette, international studies junior, is experiencing his first year of working at The 13th Gate. So far, he's liked his role as a vampire.
BLAIR LOCKHART / The Daily Reveille
Stephanie Cronan, French sophomore, transforms into a zombie Saturday night at The 13th Gate haunted house downtown, which has recently expanded and is in its 10th season of scaring Baton Rouge. Click here to purchase Reveille photos.
"I really enjoy it," Brouillette said. "I get a pretty good kick out of scaring people." Students like Cronan and Brouillette make up a large chunk of the cast, according to stage manager Jamie Schexnayder, who estimates that 25 to 35 percent of The 13th Gate's cast is University students. After getting her assignment, Cronan must now wait to get her hair and makeup done. As The 13th Gate takes precedence to Necropolis in the makeup room, the wait can be a long one. During this time, Cronan runs around the backstage area, talking and joking with the cast and crew. She's not exaggerating when she refers to them as "family." She seems to know everyone, and everyone knows her. The cast and crew are an extremely close-knit group, Cronan explains. It certainly looks that way, as no one — no matter how outlandishly dressed or gratuitously bloodied — feels uncomfortable or looks out of place. After waiting for nearly an hour, the makeup and hair crew is finally ready to transform Cronan from her normal self into the "zombie girlfriend." For such a dramatic change, the process is relatively short, requiring some well-placed fake blood and powder to make Cronan appear deathly pale. Cronan is finally ready to cross the street and make her way to the Necropolis set, but there's one problem – the line across the street is filled with waiting visitors. Cronan knows she can't walk by normally, as this would ruin the whole show for everyone waiting in line. She decides to limp across the street, stepping with her left foot and dragging her right. To sell it even further, she gets dangerously close to a group of young girls waiting in the line. The ploy works, and the girls collectively let out a huge scream, realizing they are completely unprepared for what's waiting on the other side of the door. When Cronan is a safe distance from them, she laughs and says, "That was fun," sounding quite satisfied with herself. Once she's safely in the backstage area of Necropolis, Cronan checks her makeup one last time and gets ready to take her place. As the sun is setting, she goes through the door, ready to spend the night terrifying visitors. The 13th Gate is currently in its 10th year. It's open every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night until the week preceding Halloween, when it is open every night.
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Students frighten patrons at 13th Gate haunted house - Entertainment - The Daily Reveille - Louis...
http://www.lsureveille.com/entertainment/students-frighten-patrons-at-13th-gate-haunted-house-...
Tickets for each attraction are $20 separately. A combined ticket costs $35.
____ Contact Joey Groner at jgroner@lsureveille.com
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10/24/2011 3:02 PM