In theater, the weeks leading up to the performance are crucial for the process, with lighting to sound to costumes to makeup, everything starts coming together.

Week three is here for the cast of “The Haunting of Hill House” and the rough staging is done! 

Senior DJ Martinez, who plays Mrs. Montague had their first rehearsal this week, but nerves of being introduced to the main cast so far in the process had them feeling worried that they would be an odd one out.

“I wasn’t called until later, so I was worried that the main cast would’ve grown close and I would just be a little awkward and a little unsure of myself,” they said. “Yet everyone was really welcoming!”

Their character Mrs. Montague is the wife of Dr. John Montague, the man studying Hill House.

“Mrs. Montague is a really exciting character to play because she’s different from the characters I’m used to playing—she’s overbearing, demanding and not very liked by the other characters,” Martinez said.

While Mrs. Montague was being added to the blocking, costumes, makeup and hair crew to work on the face charts for the cast. 

Doing face charts means planning the makeup looks for specific people in the ensemble and solidifying the inspiration and ideas. 

Sophomore Lucy Tallman, Head of Run Crew, has been working with the other run crew members to de-modernize some of the props, fitting them more in the era that the Hill House is set in. 

They have also been creating some of the props by hand which needs a certain level of creativity. 

“The props and set rely heavily on the visual and audio elements to make the haunting aspects come to life, so we’re working hard in making sure the props convey Mr. Baldridge’s vision,” they said.

So with the staging done and the set being building more and more as the weeks go by, actors and crew are ready to watch Hill House come alive around them.

The play is only five weeks away! What will happen next? 

Stay tuned for weekly updates on “The Haunting of Hill House” opening October 24!