Puppet Theatre: Captive Audience

Halloween Horror Nights Orlando attraction
Puppet Theatre: Captive Audience
Attraction type	Haunted House
Event	Halloween Horror Nights 30
Park	Universal Studios Florida
Area	World Expo
Year	2021
Housed in	Sprung Tent 1
Based on	Original

Puppet Theatre: Captive Audience was one of the ten haunted houses that were featured during Halloween Horror Nights 30. It was located in Sprung Tent 1.

History and Location

Puppet Theatre was one of the ten haunted houses that were planned to be featured during Halloween Horror Nights 30 in 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was canceled. On October 27th, 2020, a short video previewing this house was officially released. It revealed many scenes and scares within the haunted house, and also revealed that the house would return the following year during Halloween Horror Nights 30. This house would be added to the site on August 12, 2021. The codename for this house was "Blender".

In 2006, Universal built two hurricane-proof tents behind the World Expo area of the park specifically for holding Halloween Horror Nights haunted houses. This house would be located in the southernmost one (called Sprung Tent 1).

Description

A puppeteer and a ballet troupe trapped in a deserted theatre for years are about to turn you into a human puppet. That's your cue to scream.

Open scene: A creepy abandoned old theater from early 1900s San Francisco. A puppeteer and a ballet troupe have been trapped there ever since, and they’d kill for an audience. Whether you’re a puppet or a patron, that’s your cue to scream.

• All the blood will drain from your face as you see the Green Room run red with blood.
• Your horror grows as you come upon grotesque living marionettes made from severed limbs.
• If you manage to escape their gory puppetry, then you’ll become a part of the skeletal audience rotting in place.

Guests are transported to San Francisco’s abandoned Grandeur Theatre in the early 1900’s. They’ll find the Pasek’s Puppet Troupe trapped within its ruins in the midst of rehearsing for their next grisly performance. With a fanatical need to entertain any captive audience, the troupe has turned to transforming trespassers into living puppets – dismantling and sewing them back together as life-sized marionettes for additions to their horrific encore. Will guests escape in one piece or will it be their final curtain call? No matter what, the show must go on…

Production Die-Ries

A Captive Audience

The show must go on! No matter what. The year is 1917 and the Grandeur Theater, once among the most opulent playhouses in the country, has fallen into disrepair. Its stage had once been graced by the biggest and brightest touring talent the theater world had ever seen. Now in its final days, the theater's last offerings are The Gurian Republic Ballet and Pasek's Puppet Troupe. Several minutes after the ballet players left the stage, the disaster struck leaving Pasek's puppeteers trapped...forever.

Now the curtain rises each night on a twisted performance by demented "artists" who've devolved into psychopathic monsters. And you're the captive audience they crave.

Backstory

Around the turn of the 20th century (April 18th 1906), Pasek's Puppet Troupe from Eastern Europe started to set up shop at the Grandeur Theatre in San Francisco which was on it's last night of the Gurian Republic Ballet Company. The theatre collapsed due to an earthquake, trapping the Puppet Troupe, Ballet Group, and patrons inside. All of the trapped people slowly went mad. The Puppet Troupe began taking the patrons and mutilating them by turning them into puppets.

Experience

Queue and Facade

The queue started to the right of The Wicked Growth: Realm of the Pumpkin. It took guests down a road that would go past Sprung Tent 1 and loop around back. The facade was the Grandeur Theatre destroyed by the Earthquake with promotional Signs for the Performances and the Signs lights flashing but missing the A&D. Near the facade on the left was a wagon and a part that said A.L. Caine & Co.

Guests entered the right side of the facade where they would go down a hallway with a bunch of theater posters. Guests would go up a ramp with a opening inside a room to the left of a mannequin of a woman dead. Guests would then enter the house.

Haunted House

Guests would be immediately scared by the White Mask Troupe Member who is holding a puppet in his hand. Guests would see a poster of Pandora and a dead body right next to it. Guests would go down a hallway where the lights and everything would start flickering. Before exiting the scene the Comedy & Tragedy Member would pop out at guests.

Guests would then enter the Green Room where there were many mirrors. Guests would go down a hallway where the Slasher Troupe Member would pop out from another side of the room through a fake mirror gag. The wall in front of Guests would disappear and show the Clown Troupe Member dancing. Guests would exit the scene and he would pop out from the other side.

Guests would go down a hallway with 2 openings in the walls on the right to show the red curtain with projections of dancers on the stage through the curtain. On the 2nd opening the Burlesque Dancer would pop out at Guests using a head as a puppet.

Guests would then enter the Costume Room where the Costume Troupe Member hidden in costumes would pop out at guests. Guests would then see the White & Gold Troupe Member sewing parts together for the Happy Twin Man. He would then get frustrated and starting telling the mannequin to shhh and guests would then exit the scene.

Guests would enter the house of the theater where the Sad Mask Troupe Member would pop at guests from the left. Guests would go down a hallway with the stage on the right. They would then be scared by the Angry Mask Troupe Member who attacks them with a machete. From the balcony is the Puppet Theatre Patron who welcomes guests and starts stabbing a mannequin.

Guests would then enter underneath the stage where the Vintage Troupe Member attacks guests. Guests would go and see Hamlet performing his monologue using a human head as a puppet. Above Hamlet was the trap doors and the red curtain. Guests would then be attacked by the Happy Mask Troupe Member.

Guests would enter the Orchestra Pits where the Gong Troupe Member would pop out and hit a Gong. Guests would see the Conductor held up by strings as a puppet. Guests would pass by a harp and piano where on the right the Disgusted Mask Troupe Member would pop out and on the left the Confused Mask Troupe Member pops out.

Guests would then enter a hallway with ropes. Guests would then enter the wings where they could see 2 Ballerina's hanging and missing their heads. Behind one of them the Teeth Mask Troupe Member would pop out at guests with a knife.

Guests would then enter the stage where on the left behind a window was the Gnome Puppet who would hum and dance and then pop out at guests on a doorway to right of the window. Guests would then on the left see puppets all moving and dancing as the Dog Mask Troupe Member pops out at guests with a knife. Guests would then continue down where they would see the Baby Puppet who would pop out at guests from in front but would also pop out from the left screaming.

Guests would then go down a hallway where the Triple Face Mask Troupe Member would pop out at guests screaming as guests then go by as fog is shot out from above and guests hear the sounds of the theater falling apart. Guests then exit the house.

Scareactors

• Dusty Man
• MultiFaces
• Slasher Troupe Member
• Picolo
• Burlesque Dancer
• Costumed Troupe
• Erte
• Sven
• Luigi
• Patron
• Mechanic
• Hamlet
• Percussionists x2
• Flautist
• Rigger
• Vicente
• Kazimir
• Pietro
• Largo

Quotes

• "Let me see you laugh. Let me see you laugh! No one has come to see my show" - Troupe Member
• "I'm still rehearsing!" - Burlesque Dancer
• "Shhh. Shush you. Besides, the show must go on." - Erte
• "Oooo we have an audience! What luck! I hope you enjoy... the show!"- Patron
• "To be or not to be!? That is the question! Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer! Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio! God has given you one face and you make yourselves another! Madness in great ones must not unwatched go! Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. The Lady doth protest too much, methinks!" - Hamlet

Pictures

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Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Credit to Dallas thompson and relive the magic

Puppet Theatre: Captive Audience Cast & Crew T-Shirt [Front] Image from wstone39 on Twitter

Puppet Theatre: Captive Audience Cast & Crew T-Shirt [Back] Image from wstone39 on Twitter

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Soundtrack

Liquid Spear Waltz

Facade Music

Grotesque Discovery

Facade Music

Gwen, the Hallowed Seamstress

Opening Music

Plink, Plank, Plunk

Clown Troupe Member Music

I Just Can’t Make My Eyes Behave (Recorded 1907) (Columbia 3588 Comic Ragtime Song)

Costumes Scene

Tchuti Sevdiani Simtchera (Five Funeral Songs) - V. Lento

Orchestra Pit Scene

Videos

Go Behind the Scenes of Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights-2

Behind the Scenes

Puppet Theatre- Captive Audience at Halloween Horror Nights 30

Puppet Theatre- Captive Audience Walkthrough - Halloween Horror Nights 30 - Orlando

2021 Puppet Theater Captive Audience Halloween Horror Nights 30 Universal Studios Florida Orlando

Puppet Theatre- Captive Audience HIGHLIGHTS - Halloween Horror Nights 2021 - Universal Orlando

Puppet Theatre- Captive Audience

Puppet Theatre- Captive Audience house highlights - Halloween Horror Nights 30 at Universal Orlando

Puppet Theatre- Captive Audience Haunted House at Universal's Halloween Horror Nights

HHN 30 - Puppet Theatre- Captive Audience House Walkthrough

Trivia

• The creative team did really traditional puppets, most notably Eastern European traditions and more avant garde theatrical performances to form and shape the house.
• The HHN design team imagined a world of dystopian madness where "new puppets" were fashioned out of salvaged body parts. The puppeteers donned hideous masks that resembled their favorite manikins and the audience was trapped as part of the show "that must go on!"
• The Gurian Republic was a real country in the early 1900s, although it lasted only for several years. Because they wanted an air of authenticity, the design team used it as the country of origin for the touring troupe.
• The choice of using Pasek for the name of the Puppet Troupe is a reference to songwriters, Pasek and Paul, who both have written songs for various popular Broadway Musicals.
• On the facade it said "Under the Direction of Chas. Gray. Music by M. Cordeo" which was a reference to Charles Gray and Manuel Cordeo who both designed the house.
• Two letters have fallen off of the Grandeur Theatre marquee: The letter A and the letter D. This is an intentional reference to the Art and Design department.
• The wagon out in front was reused from Urban Legends: La Llorona.
• The face of the person on the Theatre Du Chatelet Chaliapine Poster in the hall right after the facade is very similar to the Troupe Member behind the mirror in the Makeup Room.
• One of the masks in the Green Room scene is the Devil Mask from The Phantom of the Opera in Universal Monsters.
• The mirror gag in the Green Room scene is from Stranger Things 2019.
• In the Green Room scene there was Death and Fate fortune cards on a desk. They were unfortunately ripped off by guests.
• In the Green Room scene there is a mirror that is from Insidious.
• In the hallway before the Dressing Room, all of the murals on the walls are hand painted.
• In the hallway before the Dressing Room there is a mural of a peacock which is a reference NBC Universal with Peacock TV.
• In the Dressing Room, there were various team member costumes. One of particular notice was the costume of the now defunct Dragon Challenge ride at Universal's Islands of Adventure .
• In the Dressing Room, there is Mardi Gras Team Member costumes.
• There is a Doris Day dress display before exiting the Dressing Room.
• The Theatre scene was one of the largest rooms ever done in a Sprung Tent .
• The Billy Puppet from Dead Silence: The Curse of Mary Shaw was featured in this house as a Easter Egg in the Ballerina Room. Additionally there are 2 puppets also from Dead Silence: The Curse of Mary Shaw on the stage in the theater House scene.
• The most famous use of a trap door in Theater was in Hamlet for the Graveyard scene. They decided to have the character for the Trap scene for this house be performing the famous monologue from Hamlet.
• Charles Grey used to play the clarinet in high school so in the Orchestra Pit there is someone who is killed with a Clarinet.
• The man being held by strings in the Orchestra Pit is the Conductor who the puppet troupe killed and turned into a puppet to control to make him continue conducting the Orchestra Pit.
• Unlike most props HHN guests encounter as they make their way through the houses, the harp in Puppet Theatre was real and was imported from Pakistan.
• The ballerina mannequins in the Wings scene are from Dollhouse of the Damned.
• There is a mannequin head with a wig in the Wings scene that has blood dripping down the mannequin head because it includes the scalp of the victim from which the wig was made from.
• All of the puppets in the Stage scene are actual puppets bought from puppet makers.
• Perhaps the most disturbing puppet is one guests encountered at the end of their entrapment. It was designed and created completely by the HHN Art & Design team member, Claudia Verbaas.
• The puppet from above at the end of the house is the Happy Twin Man who is previously being constructed in the Costume scene.
• The Happy Twin Man is a combination of 2 critics who sat in the box seats of the theatre who were always bickering. The puppet troupe decided for them to be together forever due to their scathing reviews.
• Each house in 2021 had a hidden butterfly, the one for Puppet Theatre was located in the Trap scene in a box.
• One of the puppets hanging above the final scenes of the house is of Jack the Clown