Scare actors Aimee Meunier, Ashton Connor, Willow Farber and Brady Russell prepare to scare at Fright Fest.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
AGAWAM — Willow Farber and Aimee Meunier sat on stools with their eyes closed. The table between them was littered with bottles of paint and airbrush applicators. While Entertainment Supervisor Gregory Seymour put the finishing touches of Meunier’s face with a brush, Melissa Wassell began spraying blue lines on Farber’s skin.
Meunier and Farber’s weekend jobs in the entertainment industry are unlike most. Their job is to scare their audience away.
Every fall, after the summer crowds are gone, Six Flags New England receives a horrifying makeover for the five-week scare-athon that is Fright Fest.
During the day, amid the rides and laughter, the park offers the family friendly Boo Fest, with the “Trick-or-Treat Trail,” a hay maze, crafts and a train ride. The “Grave Rave” dance party, “Spooktacular Street Party” and “Kids Scary-oke” let children dance and sing at the park. But after 6 p.m., the entertainment is designed to terrify.
There are seven themed “scare zones” throughout the park, with names like “Slaughter Hollow,” “CarnEvil” and “Soul Harvest.” Several themed haunted mazes, including the newest, “Camp Killamore,” deliver classic haunted house startles and screams.
Ideas for new attractions, shows and designs usually come from Manager of Entertainment Pete Shannon, Raymond Sciarretta, marketing and public relations manager for Six Flags New England said. Then, the team figures out how to bring those ideas to life. By spring, the crew is working on the next season’s Fright Fest.
The scare actors bring Fright Fest to life, and for them, it is a labor of love.
“I’ve come as a guest,” said scare actor Brady Russell. “As soon as I turned 16, I was like, ‘Yes, this. How do I do this? Where do I sign?’” They have now been a scare actor for four seasons and said, “It’s healing my inner child to scare kids and be like, ‘Aw, that was me.’”
Being a scare actor is a seasonal, part-time gig and most ghost and bloody creatures seen in the park have full-time jobs. Russell shared that they are an operations manager at a bank, and added, “We work with students. We work with lawyers.”
As the makeup lead, Wassell is an exception. “I was an artsy kid,” they said, airbrushing paint onto Farber’s neck. The fine mist smelled like a strange mixture of green apple and spray paint. Rather than being uncomfortable when applied, Russell said, “All you feel is air.”
Scare actor Ashton Connor, with red gashes across his face, offered, “The blood gets kind of hard, and you feel the stiffness.” Wassell also uses prosthetics, liquid latex and spirit gum to turn people into ghouls and zombies.
In 20 minutes, Meunier’s makeup is done, and she steps out of the room to change into her clown costume.
Becoming a scare actor is not as simple as dressing up and chasing people. Scare actors are hired in the summer and must attend Ghoul School in August. That is where the actors learn the art of the scare.
“We are a family park, so we avoid vulgarity,” said Seymour. “It’s a lot of trial and error, too — how to get into character, full theatrical decisions. We learn a lot from each other here.”
Interacting with families and younger guests requires a different tone than what the scare actors use with older guests. “A lot of Ghoul School is about reading the guests,” Seymour said.
Fright Fest has rules for scare actors and guests, alike, including no touching. Ashley Horan said there are also signs throughout the park reminding people of the rules. She quipped, “If you don’t eat, drink or smoke anything in the park, nothing in the park will eat, drink or smoke you.”
Horan worked in entertainment at Six Flags New England for about a decade. Now, she is in the marketing department. “It’s addictive,” she said of being a scare actor. “I wasn’t scaring for a couple years, but you get the itch.”
Seymour agreed, saying, “Sometimes I’ll pick up a chainsaw and just go out there.” Seymour who studied theater at Holyoke Community College, said, “I absolutely love what I do. Every day, it’s like you’re running a show.”
While many of the people drawn toward being a scare actor have backgrounds in theater, Horan said, “You don’t necessarily need acting experience. If you have the right attitude and personality, we’ll help you with the rest.”
The shows are where the scare actors can lean into their theatrical sides. They are cast in roles that play to their strengths, whether it be singing, dancing or contorting their bodies into creepy positions, as Meunier demonstrated, leaning into a backbend with her head at an uncomfortably odd angle.
The variety of shows offers a little of everything. The tone is set by “The Awakening.” Sciarretta said, “At 6 o’clock, that’s when it really gets terrifying. The monsters are unleashed.”
Russell said, “‘The Awakening’ has a vibe.” Connor described seeing the midway full of guests as a horde of monsters lumbers toward the crowd.
“Creepshow Freakshow” recalls the daring feats of circus performers in a creepy setting, “Mort’s Used Coffins” provides comedy amidst the horror and “Midnight Rising” is a dance show set among the undead.
The newest show is “Love at First Fright,” a musical in which two social media influencers attempt to make content by undertaking a challenge to stay overnight in a cemetery. At midnight, however, the monsters come alive and have other plans.
The characters in these shows have full personalities and backstories. Russell said of his character, Lord Talon, “I play a very self-centered, stuck-up character, but in reality, I’m humble. I like being that completely opposite person.”
Fright Fest runs through Oct. 27.
