A walk in the dark at Petrified Forest.

Posted on by Thor

Sylvia Katherine Viles is the cast director at Petrified Forest (S.R. 436, just 1/4 mile West of 17-92 1360 E Altamonte Dr, Altamonte Springs, FL) . She invited me to come up to play with the ghouls this year which is the 8th year the attraction has been running. This is one of Central Florida’s best haunted trails. If you want to be frightened out of your wits on Halloween night then this is the place to go.

The casting call was at 5:30 pm and the trail opens at 7 :30pmish. Rush hour traffic resulted in my arriving an hour late, but thankfully I still had time to sketch some of the cast as the haunting hour arrived. Sylvia was dressed as a demonic joker with a touch of steam punk. She immediately escorted me back to the costuming trailer to find me a hick costume so I could blend in on the trail. She explained that she wanted to put me in the meat market.  In the costume shop, she searched for a simple flannel shirt to throw on me. There were none to be found. She settled on a white shirt with touches of blood. A makeup artist quickly spray painted my face with a muddy mess. I tried to keep from inhaling the aerosol fumes.

Before the gates open, the cast gets a pep talk. They were reminded to “scare forward” which means frightening guests from behind to keep them moving down the trail. The meeting ended with a lusty shout. “Who’s house!” “Our House!” “Whoo Rahh!” An actress in a ghostly white gown and jet black hair walked me back to the meat market. This was her first time haunting the trail. I was set up behind her on the dock, which meant that guests couldn’t approach me. The staging wasn’t perfect and as it grew dark I couldn’t see a thing, but I made the best of it. A black light supplied the only illumination. A pea soup watery sludge glowed green. Usually when I sketch in the dark I can’t see what I’m working on. With the tablet the problem was reversed. Even at 0% brightness it was too bright. Which meant my eyes had to adjust to the dark each time I looked up. Hopefully I looked a bit menacing as I scowled at the faint hints of people that shuffled nervous by. The actress would loudly slam shut a wooden partition and shout out that “you better get a move on. Grandma’s  been expecting you!’ Between crowds Grandma walked over and shouted to me, “Are you sketching my girl’s butt? You better pay for that privilege mister!” I laughed.

With the dark sketch done, I walked through the trail for the first hand experience. I joined a group of four victims and entered the Abyss, which is a ghost ship of lost souls, I entered the haunted ship first. This allowed me to see what was coming up with an unobstructed view. One member of our group had a glow stick. Having a glow stick guaranteed extra frights because ghouls were enticed to try and steal it away, A haunted movie theater had dismembered bodies in the seats. We exited the movie theater through the movie screen, There were under sea scenes and a ramp of mysterious green light that enveloped us as we pushed forward. It wasn’t always  clear how to proceed. I pushed open a door that scrapped against the floor. I lead my group onto a dark foot bridge surrounded by pitch black darkness. Someone said, “I think we took a wrong turn.” Sure enough a cast member shouted at us,”You are going the wrong my.” From that point forward the guy in back took the lead. I was startled more than a few times. A figure burst to life at a banquette table. Near the end, two guys with chain saws chased us and the saws nipped at our ankles.

 Tickets are $15 for one trail and $25 for both trails. There is also a $12 back stage tour. This is the best fright for your dollar in Central Florida. Sure Universal has it’s Horror Nights, but that costs a fortune and you end up standing in lines all night. The Petrified Forest delivers just as many frights, and some of the effects are just stunning.

Jesus Christ Superstar rehearses on the front porch of a Maitland Law Firm.

Posted on by Thor

Sylvia Katherine Viles is directing Jesus Christ Superstar. I met Sylvia at a casting call for the Petrified Forest this last year. She insisted I get in costume and get ghoulish make up so that I blended in with the cast. As I arrivedat the Jesus Christ Superstar rehearsal, the cast was on the porch stretching. Sylvia was her warm bubbly self and gave me a warm hug. She explained that, “JCS has been a bucket list show since I was a child. Since my singing
voice and gender have combined forces against me and the role of Judas
will alas never be mine, directing the show is my dream come true. Add
to the mix being able to do it at Bay Street Players, my home theater
and the excitement is literally bursting out of me.  For you
younger performers this was my “RENT” or “Spring Awakening”, “BARE”
etc., it was a show that spoke to me. It still speaks today.” As a child Sylvia grew up loving this show. Judas is portrayed as a caring person Who tried to save Jesus. It is a roll reversal similar to what you see in “Wicked”.

The cast was going to practice choreography on the steps to the porch. The final set will have a series of ascending steps so this was a perfect opportunity. They usually rehearse inside the building but there was some sort of open house going on.  Jesus was late. He thought the rehearsal was at 3pm. They needed to rehearse a musical number called “what’s the buzz“. Sylvia stepped in for Jesus and descended the steps as the cast knelt down beside her. Her shirt said “Bite me” on one of those candied hearts. She improvised her lines about how great her dad was and then the cast danced, doing hand slaps and then circling Jesus singing and clapping. Steven Johnson (aka Tim Gunn) did the choreography. New movements were worked in with each run through of the scene. A car leaving the parking lot broke up the action. I shouted “Car on stage!” and everyone scrambled up the steps to get out of the way. I think they should leave the car in the final stage production.

The cast then broke into groups and sang “When will we ride into Jerusalem?”  “What’s the buzz, tell me whats a happening.” They sang to each other as they sought gossip. The final run through was flawless and they cheered for having nailed down the blocking while maintaining spontaneity. The Sun had burst through the the trees heating up the porch steps, so Sylvia called a break and the next guerrilla rehearsal spot was on the driveway beside the house in the shade. I stayed behind and finished putting washes on the sketch. It was a gorgeous house and a beautiful, if hot day. I saw on a Facebook post later in the week a group photo of the cast that said, “The Cast of Jesus Christ Superstar doesn’t sweat, we sparkle!” You have to love such youthful exuberance. I’m a bit sad that I can’t see the final production because in a week ill be in Istanbul in Turkey which is a Middle Eastern country much like where these gospel stories first began.


Mark Your Calendars! Jesus Christ Superstar with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice will be performed at Bay Street Players (109 North Bay Street

Eustis, FL)  from April 10 to May 3, 2015. Get your tickets now.

Being a victim at Petrified Forest

Posted on by Thor

Sylvia Katherine Viles the show director at Petrified Forest let me stop in for a walk through. I arrived early along with the cast who had to get into costumes and make up. In order for me to blend in on the trail as I sketched, Sylvia suggested I get into costume and makeup myself to become a victim on the trail as I sketched. A victim is just as important as a scare actor in that they distract the unsuspecting so that the scare isn’t anticipated.

I realized that I had enough time to sketch as all the actors lined up to get their make up done. This was face painting triage style with each painting job taking 10 minutes to do at most. Like a barber, some face painters liked to chat with the actors as they worked. The lead makeup artist might shout out “That is enough, on to the next!” To all an actor to the makeup chair the artist would shout out, “Next victim?” One actor was leaning back in the makeup chair and he lost his balance toppling backwards. Another actor asked for my help because he couldn’t find his glasses. I scoured the ground and was just about to give up when I spotted the glasses under the makeup table.

I was the last person to get make up applied. I asked what type of paint was being used but didn’t get an answer. The actor next to me explained that baby oil was best for taking off thick stage makeup. I froze as the first cool blast of paint darkened my eye sockets. The spray paint smelled toxic to me or at least that is what ran through my paranoid thoughts. I tried not to breath but couldn’t hold my breath long enough. I breathed through my mouth each time I needed another breath of air. I was told I only needed to look dirty and weathered. I was being spared from being bloodied. Apparently blood is rather sticky and they didn’t want it to get all over my drawing. At first glance, I looked a bit like a reptile.

Actress Tara Rewis walked me back through the maze of pallets and fencing to where she was staged. I decided that the haunted school bus was the perfect spot to sketch. My costume consisted of a simple jacket that seemed as if it was from the Civil war era. It had on big brass button. The rest of my clothing was all black that night which was perfect camouflage for the evening.

Sylvia shouted, 10 minutes to house open!” The professional actors in the group shouted back, “Thank you 10!” Before the actors all took their places there was a pep rally in the front staging area. Standing on a picnic table, Kimmy Clark shouted out, “Boo Rah!”  Everyone shouted back, “Boo Rah!” This was repeated until the woods were filled with the shouting. Actress Carol Jacqueline Palumbo walked me back to the school bus where she was working along with 2 young girls, Madison in a white dress and Jordyn in a red dress, Ken was inside the bus and he gave the guests the biggest scare. He was hidden behind one of the seats and he would shout out, “What are you doing on my bus!” Strobe lights blinded people and he had a creepy photographers studio set up with an umbrella to deflect the light. any model that volunteered might not survive the photo shoot.


Carol lay on top of a shopping card looking dead as her scarf draped down to the ground. One couple stopped to look at her for several minuted waiting for her to blink. Amazingly Carol kept her cool until the guest were distracted and they went into the bus. Madison kept stopping over to see how the sketch was progressing. She seemed quite amazed and entertained. Jordyn is the daughter of Nichole Scott. I met Madison when I sketched the auditions for the Forest. Everyone in the bus staging area were made to look like burn victims. Creepy dolls were strewn about. The girls often implored trail gusts to play with them. “You would make a good dolly.” they might say. A camp fire emitted a warm glow and there was a toilet which was often used as a thrown. We knew that any time we heard a band saw that the guests were about to enter our area. Madison and Jordon would scramble back to their staging areas to be ready. Once Madison tripped on a root in her haste. Jordan had an allergic reaction of some sort from the bug spray or make up. Imaginary horrors became real. I was terrified that mosquitoes might eat me alive, but I survived.


Tara told me that even as I sat still, some guests would be frightened by my presence. She was right. I laughed each time someone turned with a start. I must have a creepy laugh. I was hidden behind the door that leads into the bus area. I stared opening the door towards me which I imagined might create a ghostly feel as people entered. When the sketch was done, I had t walk the trail to find my way out. I caught up to two ladies being walked through the trail along with Elaine, one of the face painters. Suddenly Elaine was lifted up by a cast member and she screamed as he dragged her away like a cave man. The women shouted in terror as Sam screamed. I laughed out loud. It was definitely the bast scare of the night. Later the women ware reunited with their friend. They chastised her. She has an ongoing agreement with certain members of the cast that they can carry her away if she walks the trail.

When I got home, Terry looked puzzled by my appearance. I then walked towards my pet cockatoo and he let off a blood curdling scream and he fluttered away from me in terror. I would have to wash off the paint since he was so upset. We don’t have any baby oil and Terry experimented with her body lotions and then some Vaseline. Nothing worked to get the make up off. Ultimately I took a very long shower and using soap and a harsh luffa, I managed to remove the make up along with a top layer of skin as well.

Mark Your Calendar! You don’t want to miss this attraction. It is located on S.R. 436, just 1/4 mile West of 17-92. Just look for the huge inflated black cat. 1360 E Altamonte Dr, Altamonte Springs, FL. You can get tickets online or at the Forest. Check their calendar to see which dates work for you.