The Haunted Theatre

Correspondent DMarks posted an item about Mackinac Island's Haunted Theatre in his Throwaway Blog. Here's the story:

The Haunted TheatreWelcome to the Haunted Theatre!

Not a theater of movies, but a Haunted House of three dimensional monsters. Within these halls you will encounter horrors of the past...artist's conceptions of Monsters from Mackinac's History.

Creatures of the Theatre

The acid scarred visage of the Phantom of the Opera greets you at the Entrance, playing the haunting strains of the Symphony he penned and lost to the treachery of a Parisian Opera Director.

Behold the mighty Ocryx, winged mythological monster, with head of wolf, arms of rat & the tail of a serpent. It is through his powers of conjurance that we are able to view these creatures of the past.

From the now dry basin of Devil's Lake, an evil Manitou has risen by the Ocryx's incantation, and now haunts the corridors of this theatre.

According to legend, Arch Rock is the gateway to the spirit world. Souls that pass over the rock achieve immortality and beautiful bodies. Those that remain become horrid joinings of man and beast.History of the TheatreThe original Theatre Building was built in 1885 by Charles Caskey. Mr. Caskey built numerous mansions here on Mackinac Island and most importantly he built the Grand Hotel. The first use of the building was a Roller Rink. In 1895 it was a dance hall. In 1907 it was a family theatre with "moving pictures". In 1923 it became a Motion Picture theatre. From 1917 to the present it was called the Orpheum Theatre.

Hundreds of years ago this area was part of an Indian burial ground, which probably explains why the theatre is so haunted. There is never ending wailing at night and the bats go beserk once it gets dark.

The Haunted Theatre came into existence in 1974. Thanks to the foresight of Mr. Frank Nephew & Robert Benser. They knew that the Mackinac Island locals and summer tourists would well appreciate the opportunity to partake of good old-fashioned laughing and screaming. One of the Monster Makers was Dale Kuipers whose art work still inhabits the theatre after all these years. Dale brought to life some interesting Island Indian legends.

Comment:  A typical example of associating Indians with evil...sigh.

Below:  The Manitou, which the Theatre apparently envisions as a demon rather than a spirit.