Tech upgrades, additional events and honors highlight summer's worth of fun and success
Sugarloaf Mountain has gone quiet following the final performance of the 50th season of Tecumseh! But preparations are underway for the venue’s annual Haunted Mountain Experience.
“Our 50th season was a huge success both in terms of attendance and artistic achievement. The trend for Tecumseh! has been an upward one for the past several seasons and this year continues that trend. Although we lost 5 shows this year due to illness in the cast and weather, we still managed to pack the people in. The company is on the most stable financial ground it has seen in a decade or better, the facility is in the best condition it has been in years, and the current team of management and artistic leadership is likely the strongest at any theatre in the country. I’m extremely proud of what this staff and company were able to pull off this summer.” Said Producer, Brandon Cavender Smith.
The summer season included a number of special events honoring the 50 years that Tecumseh! has been produced. The Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce held their monthly business after business event at the theatre in July, where a number of local and state politicians presented proclamations to the company. Earlier that same month, hundreds of veterans and current military families were able to enjoy the performance and a preshow cookout for free, as the company paid tribute to those who served. That same month the Tecumseh Alumni Association held their 50th anniversary reunion, which took place over a long weekend with hundreds in attendance.
The company also took a headfirst dive into technology upgrades. Installation of a massive new digital surround sound speaker system, microphones and a new sound design added depth and dimension to the traditional production. Construction of a new production booth iced off the near quarter of a million-dollar project.
Additionally, the company held it’s second Boomin Bluegrass Festival featuring the Grammy Award winning Steep Canyon Rangers, and again provided a free Shakespeare performance in August.
It was a busy summer, but now the company looks forward to the fall.
“Haunted Mountain started as an idea many many years ago. When I came back in 2014, one of the first things I dusted off was the old Haunted Mountain plans. We picked and chose from that what we thought we could pull off on our own. I mean, our families and dozens of volunteers built that first Haunted Mountain. Since that first year, it has grown beyond our wildest imaginations. Nearly 10,000 attend our Halloween events now. These shows sell out every year, and people just love them. And we love doing it, it’s almost a gift to ourselves after a long hard summer.”
“This year's production will feature a fully produced play on the stage, a re-vamped haunted trail, escape rooms, tomahawk throwing, tarot card reading, seasonal food and drinks and more. It’s a little bit haunted house, a little bit farmers fall festival, a little bit Broadway, and certainly the most unique Halloween event in Ohio.” Said Cavender Smith.
“Although we don’t represent ourselves to be the goriest in the state, or the loudest in the state, we think we’re the most fun. And while the play this year is suggested for ages 13 and up, it’s a family event in many ways. Not for the faintest of hearts, but if you want to go out and enjoy the Halloween season without being completely traumatized or repulsed, we think we’re a good option. And we have the best spiked cider in Ohio!”
The Scioto Society, the non-profit organization that produces Tecumseh! and Haunted Mountain regularly publishes it’s annual report and financial review on its website: www.tecumsehdrama.com. The 2022 review will be available beginning in February.
Haunted Mountain: Tales of the Undead is presented every Friday and Saturday evening in October. Tickets are limited and shows sell out regularly. Tickets are on sale now at www.hauntedmountain.org
Haunted Mountain is presented with the assistance of The Ohio Arts Council and the Ross Chillicothe Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Original source can be found here
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