Show Spotlight: Ha-Ha-Halloween
Written by Tommy Delp
It’s October, and you know what that means! It’s time for candy, costumes, and scares.
Soap Watkins, producer and host of this year’s spooky holiday show, Ha-Ha-Halloween, has plenty of seasonal surprises in store.
The History of Halloween
What started as a simple celebration observing the yearly transition from autumn to winter has become a cultural juggernaut. For many, Halloween is the go-to celebration for everything scary and exciting.
“It’s one of the few holidays that just lets you have fun,” Watkins said.
And according to YouGov, plenty of other Americans would agree. 67% of them have a positive view of Halloween, a number that is even higher for younger generations.
That popularity is also reflected in seasonal spending, with the National Retail Federation expecting Halloween-related purchases to top $13 billion for the first time ever this year.
Not too shabby for a Celtic harvest festival!
For Watkins, besides the candy and weather, Halloween offers an opportunity to indulge in some of their favorite nerdy interests.
“It’s a holiday that lets you be part of it… the whole world becomes a convention for one night,” Watkins said.
Spooky Scary Comedy Delights
Many people, including director Jordan Peele, have noted the similarities between comedy and horror, and it’s those threads that Watkins hopes to pull on for Ha-Ha-Halloween.
“Incorporating scary elements into improv and comedy in general is easy because they’re already closely related in setup,” Watkins said.
Along with themed short form and long form, the audience can expect ghost stories and some fun contests.
“With the scream queen competition,” Watkins said. “We’ll be looking for the most cinematic scream, not necessarily volume but like ‘acting’ screaming.”
There will also be a prize for both the aforementioned scream queen competition and the costume contest!
As for the level of scares to expect, the goal is to touch on classic Halloween topics and not anything overly intense.
“Content warning for spiders I guess, that’s a good one,” Watkins said.
So for those of you with arachniphobia, flee in terror from The Focus Theater. For everyone else, we’ll see you at the show on Friday, October 31st. Grab your tickets for Ha-Ha-Halloween today!