For more than a dozen years, Steve Miller’s magic has transformed the Lyric in Tupelo into the town’s much-anticipated Haunted Theatre.
Written and Researched by Leslie Criss | Photographs Courtesy Steve Miller
Don’t ask Steve Miller to watch a horror movie — he just can’t. They bother him too much. But when Halloween rolls around, invite him to a haunted house, and he’s all in.
He and his kids used to go to anything haunted offered in the month of October. This included a visit years ago to what he believes was the very first Haunted Theatre at Tupelo Community Theatre’s Lyric.
“Tracy Conwill told me to come see it,” Miller said, laughing. “I did. And it was just plain bad. It didn’t make sense; it was too theatrical. And people like to be scared.”
He was told if he could do any better, he should show up and help with the next Haunted Theatre.
“I showed up to help and was told, ‘It’s all yours,’” Miller said.
And so he’s been in charge of TCT’s Haunted Theatre for the past 13 years. He has help from Dave Dawson, who has built many sets for productions, along with a cast of 16 other volunteers.
It seemed like a great idea — a Haunted Theatre, a fun and frightening community event to raise money to help support the local theater. Even without the macabre magic Miller brings to the annual October event, the Lyric is said to be home to a resident ghost named Antione.
The Haunted Theatre that started out “too theatrical” has morphed through the years into a huge annual production guaranteed to scare even the bravest souls.
“In the early years, we had no budget, no money for the Haunted Theatre,” Miller said. “We didn’t know what we were doing.”
So, Miller and a few others started visiting haunted houses far and wide to learn how to put together a successful experience.
In recent years, animatronics and pneumatics have been added to the spooky adventure, but Miller has also hung onto many classic Halloween scaries.
Todd Barnett, who’s been on stage in many TCT productions, often accompanies Miller to yard sales and to The Halloween & Attractions Show in St. Louis, the only industry trade show of its kind in the world. Miller is always in search of more ghastly and ghostly items to add each October.
“I stay excited about the Haunted Theatre,” he said. “I just love doing it.”
The 2024 Haunted Theatre is open from 7 to 11 p.m. October 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 and 26; and from 7 until 10 p.m. October 31. Tickets are $15 per person.
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