By Katarina D'Souza | January 16th, 2023
You may have heard rumours going around about Francois Salvatore’s Circus of Curiosities and Travelling Carnival. This fantastical tale was brought to life by the drama club in this year’s haunted house. Visitors followed a guide, claiming to be a fellow student, through darkened hallways and into the depths of the school’s basement. Along the way, the guide recounted the tragic tale of Salvatore’s Circus.
The cast of the Haunted House production (Back to front, left to right: Andrew Martins, Liam Karasiuk, Sebnem Battal, Cathy Zhang, Grace Coffee, Amelia Cui, Annie Zhang, Adrien McCausland, Dex Hutchinson, Gabriel Miller, Hanna Alaei, Haripriya Radhakrishnan, Katarina D'Souza, George Messiha, Anshi Nair, Vennise Ho, Makayla Levesque, Nicholas Lee, Natasha Ross).
As the story went, one rapacious jester, wanting the million-dollar fortune of the circus to themselves, murdered the ringmaster, Francois Salvatore. Mr. Salvatore, foreseeing his untimely demise, rigged his carnival to burn, erasing his legacy and fortune from the history books. The salvageable remains of the carnival, including the safe containing its fortune, were disposed of in the school basement. It's said that on quiet nights, the circus troupe can still be heard wandering the circus grounds over three decades later.
Betrayed by their guide, who was secretly the clown whose greed caused the circus’ downfall, those who braved the event’s massive waiting line are said to have come face to face with the ringmaster and his troupe. Many said this was their favourite part of the experience, complimenting how the troupe surrounded them from the shadows. The immersive atmosphere was another subject of praise from guests.
Running through lunch on October 28th, 31st and November 1st across the drama rooms, the haunted house raised over $600. These proceeds were put towards The Woodlands Theatre Company’s production of Beauty and the Beast, showing December 7th through 9th in our school cafeteria. The show features many of the same talented actors, this time dolled up as princesses, peasants, and plates. Hopefully you were able to come out to see it!
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