Believe it or not, but we're only a month away from the start of Halloween season. That's because the fright-dispensing folks at a few local haunted attractions begin slinging scares come mid-September, they're already busy readying their ghouls and goblins in anticipation.
North Phoenix's 13th Floor Haunted House and Surprise's Chambers of Fear are each planning to open on Friday, September 13 (natch). But before they get hearts pounding or people screaming, the proprietors of both will be hunting for fresh bodies to add to their respective casts of characters via open auditions held over the next several days.
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The management at 13th Floor, for instance, will be seeking actors to portray some of the creepy characters and creatures that will populate the haunt during an open audition for actors Monday, August 12, starting at 6 p.m. at their location, which is situated along Bell Road just west of Interstate 17.
Anyone 16 years or older who is interested in working for the attraction is encouraged to fill out an online application beforehand. And those skilled in such talents as stilt-walking, improvisational acting, juggling, and body contortion should make sure to indicate such on the form as we're guessing it will help you stand out from the rest of the applicants.
If spending evenings chasing around people while wielding defanged chainsaws isn't your particular bag, they'll also be accepting applications and conducting interviews for a variety of other jobs and technical positions, ranging from makeup artists to security personnel and box office employees.
Over at Chambers of Fear in Surprise, however, owner Paul Boyd and his staff will only be screening potential actors for their "Graveyard Crew" during the casting call that's scheduled to take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 17. (A second audition will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, August 21.) As with 13th Floor, applicants must be older than 16 in order to apply and will be required to pass a background check.
Although no previous acting or haunted house experience is necessary to land a spot as one of the costumed freaks or geeks roaming the myriad rooms of the labyrinthine attraction, it's worth mentioning that its actors work on a "volunteer" (read: unpaid) basis.
While you won't get any financial compensation, we're guessing the fun of dressing like a ghoul and scaring the bejeezus out of teens and 20-somethings is payment enough, particularly those that are really into the Halloween season.
Plus, Chambers of Fear is one of the higher-profile haunts in the Valley due to the fact it's been featured on a few TV shows, including an upcoming appearance on the Travel Channel's Making Monsters (which was filmed back in May during Phoenix Comicon).
When we spoke with Boyd during the event, he promised that the attraction would boast newer and bigger scares this year -- including an especially gory and impressive-looking prop that was designed by Ed and Marsha Edmunds of Making Monsters. It means there should be plenty of patrons traipsing about the place to shock and startle, should you make the cut.
13th Floor's open audition takes place at 6 p.m. tonight at its location. Meanwhile, Chambers of Fear's casting calls will be held on-site from 11a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 17; and from 5-8 p.m. on Wednesday, August 21.
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