Beware the House on Haunted Hill!

by Matthew Byrd and Kathryn Funkhouser

Directed by Susan E Clark

Show Dates: November 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, and 15, 2026

Open Call: Please attend one of the following:
Thursday, September 3rd, 7:00-9:00pm
Saturday, September 5th, 1:00-3:00pm

Location: Penny Smith Theater rehearsal hall, 118 Cussewago Square, Meadville, PA. Please enter from the east parking lot entrance.

Audition Details: Those auditioning only need to attend ONE audition session. Scenes for a cold read will be provided. You may be asked to read for more than one character.

Show Details: Adapted by Matthew Byrd & Kathryn Funkhouser from the 1959 film House on Haunted Hill, written by Robb White, directed by William Castle, starring Vincent Price

Synopsis: Come to the party…stay if you dare. An eccentric millionaire promises six guests a mysterious prize if they can survive the night at the only truly haunted house in the world. Everyone invited has a few skeletons in their closets though, and screwball scares lurk around every corner. The classic 50s horror movie House on Haunted Hill becomes a campy whodunnit in this low-tech stage adaptation. Join us at the House on Haunted Hill – it’ll be a scream.

Main Characters:

· Watson Pritchard – The current owner of the house on Haunted Hill. He seems to live in fear of the house’s history and power but is strangely willing to rent it out to anyone who makes the right offer

· Frederick Loren – A wealthy producer of popular stage thrillers. Elegant, witty, and undeniably mischievous. He’s Vincent Price

· Annabelle Loren – An actress. Frederick’s wife and star of his plays. Unhappy about both and makes it known

· Lance Schroeder – A pretty-boy actor and Annabelle’s costar in Frederick’s plays. Years after the events of this play, someone will invent the word “himbo” to describe him

· Dr. David Trent – A pop psychiatrist to the stars, including Annabelle. He claims to be among the most respected professionals in his field. Few others support that claim

· Ruth Bridgers – Theatre critic to a big newspaper, known to pan Frederick’s plays

· Nora Manning – A student impersonating a professor of the paranormal

· Younger Slydes – The house’s caretakers. Deeply unnerving

· Elder Slydes – The house’s caretakers. Deeply unnerving