'Horror’ production brings in CHC Theatre Department’s largest non-musical audience to date.

Publish Date: Nov. 13, 2023

An original production of horror (tinged with humor) helped usher in Spooky Season at Crafton Hills College, and with it, the highest attended non-musical production in the recent history of the College’s Theatre Arts Department.

For three performances, “Tales of Horror and Suspense” took audiences on a rollercoaster of emotions as more than a dozen performers enacted four one-act plays focused on how a series of events can have horrifying consequences.

Paul Jacques, chair of the department, and student Sebastian Hernandez partnered to direct the production, taking turns in the writing and director’s chair to bring “Tales” to the stage on Oct. 13, 14, and 15.

Hernandez, who appeared in the department’s spring production of “Urinetown,” told Jacques his desire to expand his skills in dramatic arts, opting this time for a behind-the-scenes role writing and leading a cast of trivia-heads through a world of uncertainty led by a gamemaster with a murderous intent in his original piece, “Murder Trivia Party.”

“I take on different [theatre] roles all the time, but this is my first time officially directing, and I have a feel for it already from just having acted and done the whole thing,” said the 22-year-old Yucaipa resident. “It’s pretty easy to understand how [dramatic elements] all kind of connect…, but it’s just – you know – taking on that [director’s] role and doing it and realizing to what extent each role needs to what.”

Monty Muse, of Beaumont, brought wit and a bit of fright to their role as the Gamemaster, costumed in garb and projecting an attitude that was reminiscent of a 1980s movie villain. The Yucaipa High School senior, who is part of a hybrid program that allows soon-to-graduates to take college-level courses at Crafton, said their interest in performing arts began at a young age.

“My dad used to work here and knew how good the [theater arts] program was, and that got me interested in it,” said Muse, who goes by they/them pronouns. “I thought… it would be awesome to be with college theater kids.”

Muse’s Crafton theater debut was in the spring 2022 musical of “Avenue Q,” which opened the doors for additional work on the CHC stage.”

“There was a running joke in this show that I drew inspiration from the [Saturday Night Live] skit ‘David S. Pumpkins,’ but there was also just a cheesy type of Halloween theme but with an element of genuine insanity to it that I added,” the 17-year-old continued. “It was really fun to balance that horror and comedy and just set the energy for the show.”

Rounding out “Tales” were three other productions: “Call of Cthulhu,” an original play written by Jacques; “The Cask of Amontillado,” based on a short story by Edgar Allan Poe and adapted by Robert Mason; and Jon Jory’s adaptation of W.W. Jacobs’ “Monkey Paw.”

Crafton’s Theatre Arts Department will next stage the productions of “The Importance of Being Earnest,” Dec. 1 through 3, and the musical “Legally Blonde,” April 26 through 28. To learn more about the department or for upcoming show info, including auditions, go to craftonhills.edu.