This year’s Halloween in the Leesville community was missing one iconic feature: ITS’ Haunted House. 

International Thespian Society (ITS) is Leesville’s honor society for the theater department. Last year, they put on an elaborate haunted house during the annual Hall-O-Ween truck or treat for elementary school students. 

Since the early 2000’s, ITS has put on the Halloween event seven times.

Hall-O-Ween falls in the midst of the theater’s fall play. This year the fall play is “The Crucible.” Actors and crews are rehearsing everyday in preparations for their November opening.  

Jeannine Wrayno, Arts Department chair and Leesville’s technical theater teacher, said via email, “Since the Haunted House overlaps with the Fall Play Production, it causes us to have to halt rehearsals. There’s also a LOT of prep work to the lobby games and the event itself so that’s challenging for our student actors and student technicians who are trying to finish preparing for the Fall Play at the same time.” 

In lieu of this, the haunted house transitioned into a bi-annual Leesville event. The arts department aims to most efficiently use their time and actor talents. 

Wrayno typed, “We’ve had years where students went hoarse after Haunted House which made preparation for the Fall Play harder.” 

The haunted house may be an iconic Leesville tradition, but there are many other ways that the theater department showcases their talents during the year. 

Replacing the haunted house, ITS will be hosting a talent show in February. The event will be held in the auditorium allowing student actors and technicians to showcase their artistic skills through song, dance, monologue, and other talents. 

Wrayno typed, “Once when we did this showcase years ago, we had a tech student who showcased speed rubix cube solving to the Jeopardy theme song, and everyone was so proud that he was willing to perform in front of an audience and was so good at it that he got a standing ovation.” 

While the haunted house was deeply missed, the showcase will give students an opportunity to be appreciated for their hidden talents.