Reaper’s Revenge is already in week three of the haunt/Halloween season, and the action on the mountain is more intense than ever. This past weekend, Reaper’s Revenge hosted its first “Media Event,” which gave members of the press and review groups a chance to go behind the scenes at Reaper’s Revenge. The response to this event was extremely positive, and each group expressed how much they enjoyed and learned during this special event. You can ALSO go behind the scenes at Reaper’s Revenge by purchasing one of our limited “Behind the Scares” packages which launch this weekend! In this edition of the “Reaper’s Revenge Blog,” we are going to focus on one of the core attractions, the foundation of Reaper’s Revenge, the famous “Haunted Hayride.” Each week we will be featuring the talented actors, management and supervisors that bring to life this monster of an attraction. Next week we will be focusing our special feature on the ominous “Sector 13” but in this edition, we had the pleasure of speaking with some of the talent featured in the legendary “Haunted Hayride” attraction!
When Reaper’s Revenge first opened its ominous gates, the “Haunted Hayride” and “Pitch Black” were its only two attractions. Starting off as a small, traditional hayride, the attraction has grown exponentially, where it is essentially a Halloween- theater, displaying a variety of Hollywood-quality sets, first-class acting, and performances that are unforgettable.
While guests often see the spectacle that is the “Haunted Hayride” rarely do they get to interact on a personal level with the talented scare-actors featured along this epic journey. We had the privilege of interviewing four featured actor’s as well as attraction Supervisor Mathew Adams, to see what it takes to bring the “Haunted Hayride” to life each night! While Mathew is a humble leader, he does a fantastic job of coaching his talent, ensuring safety standards, and performance standards are held in the highest regard. Matt, a veteran scare-actor himself, spends the entire evening interacting with his staff, hiding in costume and dedicating his energy towards making the “Haunted Hayride” the best attraction at Reaper’s Revenge. In this edition of the Reaper’s Revenge Blog, we proudly feature three of the numerous talented “scare-actors/actresses” you will encounter on the “Haunted Hayride.”
Reapers Revenge Blog (RR Blog): We would like to introduce and thank the three “Scare-Actors/Actresses” featured in this special edition of the Reaper’s Revenge Blog. Today we are interviewing scare actors: Scott Bidwell Jr (Jason Voorhees), Justin Grosvenor, and scare actress: Demi Burley. We asked each a series of round-table style questions starting off with their backgrounds.
Scott Bidwell Jr (Bidwell): I have been performing at Reapers Revenge for the past six seasons, and first started as a zombie in the “Walking Dead” themed scene. During my fifth and sixth year, I was given the opportunity to bring back to life the iconic “Jason Voorhees” character back to life at Reaper’s Revenge!
Justin Grosvenor (Grosvenor): I have been performing at Reaper’s Revenge and in the haunt industry for the past nine years and have played a variety of characters. I started out with different roles, not professionally but for fun. I play a character known as “Tweddle Box” in the “Alice” scene featured on the “Haunted Hayride.”
Demi Burley (Burley): I have been acting at Reaper’s Revenge since 2013, first starting off as a “zombie” in the “Thriller Scene.” Ever since then, I have played “Samara Morgan” from the movie The Ring.
RR Blog: What inspired you to work at Reaper’s Revenge?
Bidwell: My inspiration to work at Reapers Revenge is simply my love and fascination with Halloween and acting! I’ve acted anywhere from high school theater to local short films.
Grosvenor: I have always loved scaring others, even it was just my brother and neighborhood kids.
Burley: Growing up, I’ve always dreamed about being an actress, but it was never realistic for me to do full time. I also loved Halloween and horror movies growing up, so working at Reaper’s was perfect for me. I never thought I’d be working there for so long, but here I am! There’s just something about the atmosphere and the family I’ve made there that makes it impossible to leave
RR Blog: How do you approach acting and interacting with customers?
Bidwell: Every wagon that passes through my scene, I give my 100% and treat it like it’s the first wagon of the night! It’s fun to see the different reactions you receive from people as well.
Grosvenor: I approach “acting” by placing myself into character and thinking about what the “character” might say or do. I provide input to managers and supervisors to help fine-tune performance and come up with significant bits and lines. I never hold myself to a higher standard as an actor; I pretend like it’s my second year every year and help as much as I can without my ego getting in the way. My approach to customers is basically trying to entertain and scare if I can, but I want to leave him with something to remember!
Burley: My approach to acting is a bit different from everyone else’s. I’m more of a distant/gross-out scare more than anything else. I don’t interact with the customers much; I just come out of the well and get up on the wagon. Once I start contorting, and my bones start to make disturbing noises, everyone freaks out!
RR Blog: What is the most challenging aspect of performing at Reaper’s Revenge?
Bidwell: In my opinion, the most challenging part of the job is the late nights that can last past 2 am! But all in all, it is worth EVERY millisecond.
Grosvenor: The most challenging aspect is sometimes not knowing when the show will end, rough nights in the weather, and sometimes customers who are rude to actors and try to hurt the overall show.
Burley: I think the most challenging aspect of the job is keeping the energy high when the weather isn’t cooperating. It doesn’t seem like a big challenge, but when the temperature drops and the rain starts, I get extremely irritable, and I lose all motivation. I cannot stand the cold, and I absolutely HATE the rain.
RR Blog: What is the most rewarding aspect of performing at Reaper’s Revenge?
Bidwell: The most rewarding aspect of performing is getting recognized by not only your supervisors and co-workers but also the haunt reviewers. It feels great to be called out by Haunt Reviewers, especially when you give you a “nickname” they never knew would stick with you!
Grosvenor: I like it when I get that great “scare” or when people recognize the character and also the kind things they say about your acting when you’re not in character. I take pride in my performance.
Burley: The most rewarding aspect of the job is when I get to go sit by the fire after a long night and listen to all the customers rave about our attractions. I absolutely love reading our reviews and hearing about everyone’s experiences. When I wear my Reaper’s gear out in public, it’s refreshing to have people come up to me and give me their feedback on our attractions.
RR Blog: What is your favorite scary movie and horror character?
Bidwell: My favorite scary movie would have to be anything from Rob Zombie, but if I had to choose, it would be “The Devils Rejects.” My favorite horror character is the late Sid Haig, formally known as Capt. Spaulding.
Grosvenor: Believe it or not, I am not a huge horror movie fan. It may be shocking because I love Halloween, but I don’t have a favorite scary movie or horror icon!
Burley: My favorite scary movie is Silent Hill, and my favorite horror character is Samara (obviously!)
RR Blog: Thank you all for your time, and we look forward to seeing your performances only improve throughout the season!
Reaper’s Revenge News
Reaper’s Revenge proudly supports and promotes a variety of community and charity organizations each season. Once again, Reaper’s Revenge has hosted numerous local “dance” performance groups, and we would like to thank the Marywood University Dance Team for their excellent performance on October 5th!
Social Media Reviews of the Week!
“Jeff- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – This place is above and beyond. By far the most fun I have ever had at a haunted attraction. Well worth the 2.5-hour drive from Philly”
“Shelby- New Jersey– I came with a group from another attraction, and this place blew everything out of the water. The hayride was amazing, they had a ring scene and the actress cracked when she moved, very cool.”
“Jennifer, Dalton, Pennsylvania– The customer service was outstanding!
