As a lovely day of bright sunshine ended, a pretty twilight carpeted this charming town of Lock Haven in Central Pennsylvania. The Haunting of Hill House play opened at the Sloan Auditorium on Nov. 03.
The play was divided into two acts which was a treat for the audience. A perfect setting for the theme of Halloween. The marquee set had everything cramped on one big stage. Bed at one end. Sofa set at the other. Table with two chairs and a chess board. The far-right corner adorned a set of sherry with two wine glasses. The door in the middle of the stage and another to the right that led to the tower. Completed the setting on which the entire play was enacted in two parts.
The sound effects used in the Hill House were really haunting and rocking. The creaking of the slowly shutting door every so often really sends a creepy sensation in the pitch-dark auditorium. Combined with the shrieks, loud laughter, and cries of a baby sent shivers in the audience. Sudden appearance and disappearance of ghostly creatures in black and white robes kept the folks watching the play on the edge of their seats. Sound effect was mesmerizing in a rather terrifying manner.
The lighting matched the sounds on the stage to great effect. Controlling the pitch and focus simultaneously from the chess table to action in the living room sofa, was quite artistically executed. Dimming down while the main character and guest at the Haunting House Elanor Vance slept in the bed terrified by the dreams of her dead mother. The stories narrated by Theodora, Dr. Montague, and Luke highlight the dark history of the Hill House, which the local townspeople avoid at all cost.
Every play has some characters who stand out with extraordinary performance. The weird Mrs. Montague, the wife of Dr. Montague played this role to perfection. Even though the plot of the play remained unclear, one can guess that every character was a ghost except Eleanor. Who also gets killed in an accident and becomes a haunting ghost in the Hill House. Probably, every one of the eight characters may have come to this forsaken house to experience or experiment as in the case of Dr. Montague. And met the same fate ‘death,’ including the heir to the ownership of the house, Luke. The weirdest of all the creepy characters is the housemaid Mrs. Dudley. Keeps reminding Eleanor and other ghostly guests that after dark nobody would hear or respond to the screams from the Haunting Hill House.
The best scene of the second Act was when Eleanor in a frightened frenzy opens the forbidden door and goes up the tower led by the ghost of her mother. After being rescued, Eleanor decides to take up permanent residence at the Hill House. All the ghostly characters dissuade her from doing so and try to push her out of the house for her own sake. Perhaps knowing very well what her fate would be. When she’s forced to leave, her fate is sealed. The conclusion drawn up is, finally Eleanor too becomes one of the ghosts of the Haunting Hill House which the nearby townspeople rightfully stay away from.
This play is put out by the LHU students from the University Players and the Theatre Department. The performers show tremendous talents in every area of this production. The sound, light, acting, direction, dialogue delivery, plot, and stage setting, all demonstrate the hard work and time dedicated to make this play for what it is. Everyone involved in this amateur production deserves to be commended.
