Tempting the curse

Lil Huston pops her head out from behind a curtain at The Guild Hall’s box office in Whitehorse on Oct. 26. Huston was the first fright at the start of The Guild’s annual haunted house. (Crystal Schick/Yukon News)
Two girls scream as a costumed person pops out from behind a wall at The Guild Hall haunted house in Whitehorse on Oct. 25, 2019. (Crystal Schick/Yukon News)
Haunted house visitors run from the grim reaper for the exit at The Guild Hall in Whitehorse on Oct. 25, 2019. (Crystal Schick/Yukon News)
Two girls run towards their guide as a costumed person pops out from behind a wall at The Guild Hall haunted house in Whitehorse on Oct. 25, 2019. (Crystal Schick/Yukon News)
A group of kids are surprised by a costumed actor at The Guild Hall haunted house in Whitehorse on Oct. 25, 2019. (Crystal Schick/Yukon News)
A group of haunted house goers are scared by a loud bang at The Guild Hall in Whitehorse on Oct. 26, 2019. (Crystal Schick/Yukon News)
A group of girls hold hands and run towards the exit of a haunted house at The Guild Hall in Whitehorse on Oct. 25, 2019. (Crystal Schick/Yukon News)
Patrons of The Guild Hall’s annual haunted house make their way through in Whitehorse on Oct. 25, 2019. (Crystal Schick/Yukon News)
A couple are surprised by a “grim reaper” at The Guild Hall’s annual haunted house in Whitehorse on Oct. 25, 2019. (Crystal Schick/Yukon News)
A group is frightened by an actor in a mask and a loud bang at The Guild Hall’s haunted house in Whitehorse on Oct. 26, 2019. (Crystal Schick/Yukon News)
Two women hold hands as they make their way to the end of The Guild Hall’s haunted house in Whitehorse on Oct. 25, 2019. (Crystal Schick/Yukon News)
A woman dressed as a cat screams as she enters a room at The Guild Hall’s haunted house in Whitehorse on Oct. 26, 2019. (Crystal Schick/Yukon News)

There is one word that actors never utter in a theatre for fear of unleashing a Scottish curse that will wreak havoc on all who enter the building. That word — Macbeth — was however, “accidentally” said aloud this weekend at The Guild Hall by tour guides explaining the history of the theatre.

Moments after the word was said, the curse was triggered and all patrons who entered had to find their way through rooms filled with witches, grim reapers, insane actors and more.

This was the premise of this year’s annual haunted house by The Guild Hall which ran Oct. 24 to 26.

“It’s a very strong theatre superstition that you never say that name out loud in the theatre, but we feel we’re exempt because that is actually the name of our next play,” said Mary Sloan, haunted house volunteer and director of the next play, Dogg’s Hamlet, Cahoot’s Macbeth. “It’s kind of a complicated situation.”

Approximately 20 volunteers helped supply the frights at this year’s production, from set up to acting.

Visitors paid to enter by donation. The money will go towards production expenses at the theatre. Sloan said she’s not sure how much was collected or how many people visited the haunted house, but that there was a steady flow of people hoping to be scared, especially on the Saturday night.

Contact Crystal Schick at crystal.schick@yukon-news.com