The second annual Haunted Hayride, hosted by the Brewer High School Theater Department, took place on October 25. Many hardworking students organized it and contributed by acting, designing props, running concessions, and more.
The hayride begins as you board onto a trailer in front of the cafeteria. You are ushered on by two cousins who explain that the land Brewer High School is on used to belong to their grandfather who ran a circus on it. The hayride takes you around the stadium as the cousins tell the tragedy of their grandfather’s failed circus and the clowns who performed there.
“We absolutely freaked people out and scared their boots off,” junior Skyler Holloway said. “Both young and old were terrified.”
The hayride proved to be a success the night of, but the most significant part was all of the hard work that went behind the scenes. Tech theater students spent their time preparing props and costumes that brought the whole production to life.
“I was involved more with the development of the hayride instead of the actual planning,” Godwin said. “I loved getting to paint, shape and build a bunch of props that were used in the attraction.”
Despite the fantastic execution of the Haunted Hayride, not everything is as smooth as it seems. There is always room for error and mishaps.
“The story goes that the clowns retaliated against bullying and it ended with a kid missing,” senior Tristin Godwin said. “The parents of White Settlement burned down the circus, ridding the city of the clowns only for the clowns to return as vengeful ghosts.”
As the hayride continues, you start to see disturbing visuals such as a bloodied tent and hanging body bags. The cousins say that it’s nothing to worry about, but that becomes unconvincing as the trailer begins to be approached by eerie clowns covered in blood and their pleading phrases of “Come play with me” or “I’m going to get you”.
“Getting to play a clown was lots and lots of work,” freshman Corey Leverett said. “You had to be creative with what you said and how you acted. My favorite part was doing all of the fun makeup.”
“Some props came apart and there were occasionally ads playing during the music,” Leverett said. “The costume and makeup changes were also uncomfortable and difficult to work with.”
The Hayride was an entertaining and engaging event that brought the community together for a memorable evening. More than just a lively activity, it served a purpose by raising funds to support the theater department.
“Our department wanted a fun way to fundraise money for future projects,” junior Jerimiah Orr said. “I enjoyed planning with everyone else and sharing our ideas.”
Overall, the Haunted Hayride was the perfect entertainment for the students of Brewer and their families. By attending student-run productions and events like the hayride, you are also supporting the aspirations of students who find joy in creating and planning these activities and their departments.
The clowns did a great job of being terrifying. Throughout the hayride, they would yell at and harass the riders. Even a few of them jumped onto the trailer and got in the rider's faces to scare them as much as possible. The clowns got creative with their interactions by dancing, sword fighting and similar things that kept riders on their toes.
