# Dialogue?



## postmortem.pinup (Sep 22, 2011)

Hey folks! I've been hired on to scare in a professional haunt starting tomorrow! I've never scared before, and I'm scrambling for ideas on presentation!

Set: My scene immediately follows an open outdoor space which I believe will ultimately be used for a creepy playground. I am in the mud room/laundry room portion of the 'house'. 

Costume/character: 1950's ghost woman 

I've got a door that bangs loudly when I come out of hiding. I've got a dryer to bang on and a washer that spews blacklight reactive bubbles.

Ok, so all that is leading up to my question...should I come up with some lines, or is that too cheesy? Given the setting I'm sort of stumped on what to say that would be scary and still go with the character. I could scream that they're brats with dirty shoes...oooh frightening.  

I've got the startle aspect covered with the door that opens loudly right into a wall, but as I'm meant to follow them into the laundry room after that...what next?

Any ideas are appreciated!


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## mattt1977 (Sep 17, 2009)

Is there a back story to why this house is haunted, you may be able to tie that story to your dailogue? I personally find that some of the creepiest characters at a haunt have no words at all and just stalk the randon victim quitely.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

My first thought was the same as Mattt's - you may not need to say anything at all. A voiceless presence can be downright unnerving because no one knows what to expect.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Wash basin (metal) full of suds and old washboard..you are scrubbing bloody laundry..muttering about how you need to get the blood out before the sheriff comes by...arm hanging out of the washer....


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

How often will you need to do this performance? If it's every 3 minutes then I'd avoid the screaming bit, you'd be so horse by the end of the first night you wouldn't be able to do another day of it.
How about a clothes line being strung across the set, You could have a large basin underneath it to pull "bloody" clothes out to hang on the line, you can complain about having to do the laundry and then go on about how you "fixed" that problem. Loud talk can be carried on for a lot longer than screaming or yelling. You could also ham up human limbs from the line to let them "drip dry".


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## Johnmonster (Sep 4, 2009)

How about long ropes of intestines, spilling out of your ruined abdomen and caught up in the washer. You dunk them, tug on them- intent in your work. You mutter "Must be clean, everything must be clean and sparkling."

Or, if the room is fairly well lit, you could creep out, seemingly ignoring the customers as you tend to the laundry. Then, you take notice of them, offer them a sinister smile, and trigger a switch to cut off all the lights but the ultraviolet. Your face is painted in glow in the dark makeup and you move toward them menacingly.

edit- I reread the initial post and it seems like you're a "jump" scare. I've never found a way to "jump" someone and then segue into "creepy atmospheric". Frankly, if the startle works, the theme of the room is not going to matter as much because you'll just be herding them through it and to the next scare.

Since this is a professional haunt, the owner probably has the scares arranged to stagger out the jumps with the creepy stuff. Has the owner told you that the focus is the startle with the loud door?

The way I would see such an arrangement working is to have actor A come out the door, startle the customers into the laundry room, then actor B creep them out and drive them from the laundry room. 

Good luck with it.


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