Nightmare Vermont Creating Scares this Halloween

Proceeds from Nightmare benefit South Burlington Rotary Charities, which include relief for neighbors affected by hurricane Irene.

Nightmare Vermont is an indoor, interactive haunted house designed for the 13 and up crowd. Director and creator Jana Beagley describes the event as "walking through the movie Resident Evil, only live." When Nightmare was conceived in 2004, Beagley wanted to combine elements of good theater with the visceral experience of a haunted event. This included six weeks of rehearsal on a continuous storyline. "You're fighting for your life. It's the most intense acting experience you can get," says Jill Kilpatrick of Burlington, an actor from the 2010 show. How do you set up a claustrophobia machine anyway? That's what the technical crew of Nightmare Vermont were scratching their heads about this Saturday as they unfolded the unfamiliar contraption on Picard Circle in South Burlington. The claustrophobia machine is a scare effect in the show. It consists of two black nylon pillows of air that patrons have to squeeze through. Worse, it keeps creeping up towards your neck.

Part of Nightmare's intensity comes from its inclusion of live stage combat as part of the show. The combat troupe is devoted, attending workshops and an annual "fight camp" in the summer for training. New combatants are paired with a mentor to learn basic moves. About half of the combatants are women, an unusual occurrence in traditional theater. "Women often have a talent in stage combat that they didn't expect," says fight master Steve Moore of Richmond. "Good combat is about choreography and partnering, not about violence." Many of Nightmare's female combatants were delighted at the chance to be bad-ass. "I feel so much more powerful and confident," says combatant Aimee Wallin of Colchester.

Nightmare Vermont has run in underground spaces and as part of other events since 2004. It has garnered a reputation for cinema-level visual effects, engaging characters, and wild Halloween fun. The event has now found a home with the South Burlington Rotary, a collection of business leaders who connect for the good of the community. The Rotary has helped fulfill Nightmare Vermont's purpose of being a creative outlet for the weird and unusual in our community. Scrappy evil geniuses team up with community leaders to bring you Vermont's most exciting and unique event.