By Janice McIntyre
City Editor
EL DORADO — A number of first-time events are being planned locally this month to celebrate Halloween – including “Southern Gothicon” at the El Dorado Conference Center Oct. 28 and 29; “El Dorado Haunt,” a haunted house for teens and adults in the former Tuesday Morning space in Mellor Park Mall beginning Thursday and productions of “Frankenstein,” at the South Arkansas Arts Center, Oct. 27-31.
The “Scream Team” – composed of Justin Howard and Kelly and Hugh Middleton – are designing, creating sets, building props, decorating and planning scenes for all three events. Howard is also teaching characters in “Frankenstein,” the art of stage combat.
The El Dorado Haunt
The El Dorado Haunt – for teens and adults only – will be open “to all victims” beginning Thursday and will be held from 7 until 10 p.m. on Thursdays before Halloween, from 7 until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and from 7 until 10 p.m. on Halloween, Oct. 31.
“We have been in touch with the most bloodcurdling characters from horror movies that once gave you night terrors and still haunt you today to unite and welcome you into your own personal horror story,” according to a news release about the event. “They’ve been thirsting for new blood and all hapless humans brave enough to face your fears will experience southern inhospitality at its best. The 2016 Haunting Season will be the first time we have opened our doors to make your cinema nightmares come true. You will find us waiting for you at the east entrance of the Mellor Park Mall, 2015 N. West Ave., rain or shine.”
Cost of admission to The El Dorado Haunt, is $15 “per human. Fear is a place. We call it El Dorado Haunt.” All of the proceeds will benefit Camp Fire
El Dorado, a non-profit organization that serves 700 young participants through day camps, after school outreach programs and outdoors education.
Persons who would like to volunteer to help with The El Dorado Haunt, should contact Camp Fire El Dorado at 862-3463, or email Leanne Harrell, executive director, at [email protected].
Southern Gothicon
The inaugural Southern Gothicon will take place Oct. 28 and 29, at the El Dorado Conference Center, presented by El Dorado Festivals & Events, Inc. The event will include a screening of a horror film series featuring classical and contemporary horror movies with surprise guest appearances planned for audience talkback sessions after the films. Events are scheduled to begin at noon on Oct. 28. For a schedule of events, visit http://southerngothicon.com/
The Southern Gothicon will be co-hosted by YouTube sensations Zombie Go Boom and their team will be on site all weekend (Oct. 28 and 29) to conduct interactive workshops, building their patented Zed heads for zombie destruction, makeup workshops in preparation for Halloween parties and an interactive zombie experience “where you are the survivor in a Zombie apocalypse.
“El Dorado Festivals and Events, Inc. (EFEI) is kicking off its first Halloween experience festival featuring genre films, vendors, YouTube sensations and more,” said Austin Barrow, festival director of Southern Gothicon. Alex Jeffery is the film programmer.
Barrow said film stars that will be on site for autographs/photographs for a fee include: Lori Petty, Orange is the New Black, Tank Girl, Point Break; Catherine Sutherland, Pink Power Ranger; Darcy DeMoss, Friday the 13th, Part VI; Ike Eisenmann, Escape from Witch Mountain; Lisa Loring, Wednesday Addams from the Addams Family; Nakia Burrise, Yellow Power Ranger and Reb Brown, first ever to play Captain America.
YouTube stars scheduled to be on site for workshops and panels include: Zombie Go Boom, ZedNoughtAlpha, GizmoSlip, G3AR, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Adam Celadin.
Vendors that will be on site at the conference center for the Gothicon, including two live tattoo stations and JJ’s Barbecue and Postmaster’s Grill food truck on site. On Friday evening, the event will close with a performance of “Frankenstein” at the South Arkansas Arts Center and on Saturday, the event will conclude with a Zombie Prom costume ball featuring Los Straitjackets.
Barrow said there will be daily contests for adults and children and also for the costume ball on Saturday night. Saturday will be the “kid-friendly” day with trick-or-treating, costume contest, Power Rangers movie and special interactions with the original Pink and Yellow rangers.
Frankenstein
“Frankenstein,” by Victor Gialanella, from the novel by Mary Shelley, will be performed at the South Arkansas Arts Center, under the direction of Delaine Gates and Gary Hall, assistant director, with performances beginning at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27-31 at the arts center, 110 E. Fifth St.
The curtain for each show, sponsored by Simmons Bank, will go up each night at 7:30 p.m. in the Callaway Theater, with the exception of Oct. 28, when the full production will be moved to the El Dorado Conference Center in conjunction with Southern Gothicon, being held that weekend in El Dorado.
Set in 19th-century Switzerland, this classic tale of horror and suspense details the ill-fated experiments of Dr. Frankenstein as he attempts to fathom the secrets of life and death. Blending thrills and horror with moments of touching sentiment, the play accomplishes the singular feat of being as moving and affecting as it is terrifying.
“This play is less of a horror story, than a morality tale. There is no green monster with bolts in his neck. The real monster here is Frankenstein himself. His obsession with recreating life makes us question the fine line between science and divinity,” said assistant director Gary Hall.
“This backdrop provides a smorgasbord of acting opportunities as we raise these questions in performance and character. We are fortunate enough to have an impeccable cast, more than up for the challenge presented by Mary Shelley, a girl of only 19 who created a diatribe that is still repeated today in novels like Jurassic Park. If this is horror, it’s thinking man’s horror and there lies the challenge and the excitement of the piece.”
For all performances at the South Arkansas Arts Center, tickets are available by calling SAAC box office at 870-862-5474. Tickets are $20 for the general public, $10 for SAAC members and $5 for students.
Special effects for the production include the use of flashing lights, smoke and a gun shot. Admission to Friday night’s production of Frankenstein is included with the purchase of a ticket to Southern Gothicon. Passes can be purchased from El Dorado Festivals and Events office or online at www.eldofest.com.
“SOGO developers were extremely excited to learn that SAAC was producing Frankenstein in the year’s season. What could be better than showing the original zombie story at a festival full of zombites?” said Barrow.
Also scheduled in observance of Halloween locally are Hallo-WienerPawLooza, a fundraiser for the United Way of Union County to be held at the El Dorado Boys and Girls Club from 9 a.m. until noon on Oct. 29 and a “Spooktacular Radiothon,” to benefit Arkansas Children’s Hospital from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Oct. 27, on KLBQ 98.7.