Mayhem on the Lake (Hamilton, OH)
“Lakeside Horror”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
The makers of Mayhem on Morris and the Hamilton Optimist Youth Ranch bring you Mayhem on the Lake. An animated spider can be seen on top of the ticket and concessions building. Their story line is as follows. In 1978, a summer storm cut off the access road from camp Optimist and the outside world. When rescuers finally arrived, all the campers and staff had vanished. Except the deranged camp cook who just muttered to himself “The thing in the lake!” The camp has been abandoned since that day. Until now! The camp has recently opened to the public.
This is a haunted trail with a young cast of characters. This is good and it’s bad. While some are enthusiastic, there were others that seemed unprepared. As I walking I could see some actors running to get in their spots because they didn’t know that we were coming. Some actors resort to screaming or using typical lines like “Get Out”.
Most of the scenes center around a camp site. You’ll enter the foggy greenhouse. But unfortunately the fog machine wasn’t working that night. It was either out of fog juice or malfunctioned. One of the actors let us know that it wasn’t his fault as we exited the scene. There was a room with green lasers that was ant-climactic. Our favorite scene involved a little girl holding her doll baby in a titled bedroom. She warned us that her mother was coming. It made us wonder what her mother was like and if we wanted to meet her or not.
The mess hall isn’t a place you want to sit down to have dinner. There are some gruesome goodies. If you have a decent appetite then you’re in for a tasty treat. There aren’t many props to speak of. The most eye catching is a dizzying vortex tunnel that’s homemade. It was decorated with yellow stars. Now, let’s get back to the acting. I’m not sure if this haunt has an acting coach or not. Some tried their best while others resorted to trying to intimidate us.
One psycho kept yelling go before we were chased by a chainsaw maniac. I’ve been to hundreds of haunts in my lifetime and I can tell you that there are so many talented young actors out there, but they need to be lead in the right direction and take things seriously. This wasn’t the case the night we toured Mayhem on the Lake.
I always look for the best in a haunt whether it be its attention to detail or actors that are dedicated to their craft. Mayhem on the Lake is a haunt that needs a lot of work. There was not much that stood out. Leatherface did a decent job though. This is sad since we’ve been to the home haunt Mayhem on Morris and we were expecting some of what the home haunt had to offer. It’s the definition of a work in progress. The lake that’s near the haunt is beautiful though. Total tour time was 10 minutes.
Tickets are $10 (cash only) which makes it one dollar per minute. You’ll receive 2 tickets. One is good for the haunt and the other is good for free hot chocolate and cotton candy. Parking is free. There are various concessions available like hot dogs, water and more. There’s little information on this haunt, but I’m assuming that proceeds from it go towards the Hamilton Optimist Youth Ranch. This ranch is a non profit organization that’s been going strong for over 65 years. They promote youth, family values and community out reach. They have an Outlaw Turkey Shoot, Kids Fishing Derby and so fourth.
Length-6 Design-4 Props-4 Acting-4 Scare Effect-4
Final Stab: 5.4
www.facebook.com/Hamiltonoptimistyouthranchbutlercountyohio