Northern Michigan University's Forest Roberts Theatre will be transformed into a haunted house for the eighth annual Haunted Theatre Oct. 27-29. Performances are from 7-11 p.m, with a family-friendly version for children ages 6 and up scheduled from 4-6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29.

Tickets will be sold at the door. Prices are $5 for students and $10 for adults. The family rate for the family-friendly show is $15. 

The Haunted Theatre is structured differently than a typical production. Audience members walk from room to room and intimately experience an unnerving, eerie version of live theater. Director Marty Martello noted that each year includes new rooms and new scares. This year's additions include a spider-themed room.

The cast of about 60 is a mix of NMU students, Marquette community members and area youth. All performers learn about theater from a non-traditional perspective, as they perform in close proximity to the audience and engage in improvisational performance.

“Haunted Theatre is a bonding experience,” said Martello. “I personally have made some close friends who I might never have met had I not been doing the show. In addition, it exposes people to the theater who might not have even considered doing theater before.”

The Haunted Theatre supports the First Nighters Club mission by providing theatrical and learning opportunities for a large cast. All proceeds from the performances support First Nighters Club scholarships.

“Each year, the Forest Roberts Theatre employs two graduate assistants,” said David Pierce, treasurer of the First Nighters Club Advisory Board. “While the university covers the stipend for each student, the theatre is responsible for paying their tuition. The funds generated by Haunted Theatre go directly toward the tuition for one of these assistantships, which cost between $5,000-6,000, depending on credit hours and fees. Without Haunted Theatre, the FRT would not be able to fund tuition for one of these graduate students.”

Parental supervision is required for kids ages 7 and under. Tickets are available at the door only. For more information, contact the Forest Roberts Theatre Box Office at 227-2082 or via email at frtbox@gmail.com. 

Student Jill Vermeulen from Forest Roberts Theatre provided this material.