THEATRE OF SHADOWS - HAUNTED HOUSE Comes to The Elite Theatre

The Elite Theatre Company and OPAC are teaming up this fall to present a haunted house experience at Fisherman’s Wharf. The haunt will take place within Elite Theatre over two weekends - Oct. 21 and 22 and Oct. 28 and 29. Kid-friendly tours are on Saturdays from 3-6 pm. The Full Haunt Experience with live scare actors are Saturdays from 7-11 pm and Sundays from 5-11 pm. Tickets range from $5-$15. Funds raised go to support both organizations and their work to provide accessible arts and culture for the community.

 Additional activities will augment the haunt on October 28th as part of the Channel Island Harbor’s “Parade of Frights.” Attendees can enjoy a DJ, food trucks, themed vendors, and a free Trunk or Treat co-presented with Viejitos Car Club. Guests will also enjoy a live performance by a new band on the block, Monsters of Pop, which covers pop hits through a rock and roll lens and will sport monster-like attire.

Small theaters across the country are still reeling from the pandemic. In July, the New York Times reported: “There is less theater in America these days. Fewer venues. Fewer productions. Fewer performances.” Columnist Michael Paulson goes on to say “Costs are up, the government assistance that kept many theaters afloat at the height of the pandemic has mostly been spent, and audiences are smaller than they were before the pandemic, a byproduct of shifting lifestyles (less commuting, more streaming), some concern about the downtown neighborhoods in which many large nonprofit theaters are situated (worries about public safety), and broken habits (many former patrons, particularly older people, have not returned).”

Theaters, including those in Ventura County, must innovate in order to survive. Elite Theatre Board President, Pam Hogarth, says : “It’s spooky how excited the Elite Theatre Company is to be the location for Halloween thrills and chills. The Shadow of Theatre is a great example of how Oxnard’s organizations can work together.”

“Elite Theatre does amazing productions and is located in such an incredible setting. We’re honored to partner and amplify each other through initiatives like this Haunt and get our community involved too! LiUNA and the Carpenter’s Union are assisting with buildout. Support from the Port of Hueneme, HPC,  Karl’s, Reel Guppy’s Outdoors, Hopper’s Boat Rentals, and the Channel Islands Harbor are ensuring we have the capital to invest in upstart materials and supplies. We’re very lucky to reside in such a giving community,” reflects OPAC’s Executive Director, Carolyn Merino Mullin.

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