A scientist invites you into the ransacked auditorium.

Zombies jump out from the shadows.

An infection has ravaged the area and you must cure the zombies. 

Drama club is hosting an infection themed escape room on Friday, Oct 14 in the auditorium. Drama club officers are in charge of various aspects of the room including costume, makeup, lights and sound as well as props. Kim Sulzner is a theater teacher at North and also sponsors the drama club. 

“One of the things [the officers] wanted to do was the escape room,” Sulzner said. “So it became a student project. It was like a group of them wanted to do it and so we did this about six or seven years ago. So I still advise them but [the officers] are running it.”

People attending the escape room will be the potential saviors of this fictional area overrun by zombies. Their goal? To find the cure and stop the infection.

“We’re actually done it before,” Sulzner said. “Oh it’s really fun with the zombies, like the first time I did this [theme] was 2015 ish. And they came up with the infection idea because otherwise an escape room really doesn’t have actors in it. So this way was a way to incorporate actors by having the zombies in it.”

Unlike a typical escape room that has a gamemaster watch the game from another room, the drama club members will be actors in the room with the participants. Students will be dressed as zombies or narrators and will act in the escape room, guiding participants. Auditions, modeled after the actor auditions at Six Flags Fright Fest, were held to find actors that wanted to play a role in the escape room. Junior Nigel Bailey is a member of drama club and an actor in this years escape room.

“Well, I auditioned and I got it,” Bailey said. “We did have to do a little bit of an improv audition. I just did, not even a scientists voice the first time around, but just a good voice-over voice.  And then there was callbacks for everyone who went the first time and they said to do a scientists sort of role. I was actually glad to know I actually did well. So I ended up getting the introductory scientist role who lets you know what the room is all about.” 

Anyone wanting to be participants in the room can be in up to groups of 10 and a time slot for the room costs $50. A ticket must be purchased on Thursday prior to the time of the event and are being sold by Sulzner or any drama club officers. The money earned will go into funding the drama clubs upcoming trip to the Missouri Thespians Conference. But after taking a hiatus from doing the escape room, the drama club is excited to put the room back on. 

“I like to sit up in the booth and watch the participants and how they react to the zombies because it’s hilarious,” Sulzner said. “We have lots of funny stories about adults that really freak out with the zombies and I think that is my favorite part, just sitting up there and watching.”