Northern Michigan University's Forest Roberts Theatre will transform into a haunted house for its ninth annual Haunted Theatre. Among the new "scares" added this year is a gothic-themed dungeon. Performances are from 7-11 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26-Saturday, Oct. 28.

Regular tickets will only be available at the door. Prices are $5 for NMU students and children and $10 for adults. A limited number of fast passes for each hour the Haunted Theatre is open will be available for purchase prior to the event at NMU EZ Ticket outlets. They cost $15 and allow immediate entry at scheduled times, so fast pass holders can avoid the regular line.

Haunted Theatre is structured differently than a typical production. Audience members will walk from room to room to intimately experience the performance. 

“We have great audience reactions,” said director Martyn Martello. “Look at how the audience size has increased over the years. We have people too afraid to go out to the parking lot to go to their cars.”

The cast of about 40 individuals is composed of NMU students, community members and area youth. All performers learn about theater from a non-traditional perspective as they directly interact in close proximity with the audience during the performance.  

“As an actor, being in Haunted Theatre has improved my improvisation skills considerably,” said NMU student Sabrina Nelson. “It has also allowed me to branch into a more villainous variety of characters than I usually get cast as.”

Haunted Theatre is sponsored by the First Nighters Club. Proceeds will support equipment upgrades, guest artists and student scholarly activity and travel.

Parental supervision is required for kids ages 7 and under. The show is rated PG-13. For more information, contact the Forest Roberts Theatre Box Office at 227-2082 or via email at frtbox@gmail.com.