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Want to audition for Howl-O-Scream? Here's how.

 
Lindsay Weppelman, a University of South Florida biomedical science student, plays a Zombie Bride in one of Busch Gardens' open-air scare zones at Howl-O-Scream 2016.  Photo courtesy of Busch Gardens.
Lindsay Weppelman, a University of South Florida biomedical science student, plays a Zombie Bride in one of Busch Gardens' open-air scare zones at Howl-O-Scream 2016. Photo courtesy of Busch Gardens.
Published July 27, 2017

How would you like a job that has you running all night, dodging punches and earning high marks from your boss if you make someone wet their pants?

Busch Gardens is auditioning to fill more than 700 slots for the zombies, ghouls and creepies that make up the cast of scare actors for Howl-O-Scream. Now in its 17th year, the Halloween event opens Sept. 22, running Thursdays through Sundays after the theme park closes.

The actors will spend weeks in rehearsal on how best to scare the wits out of people, but first they have to show the producers they can improvise.

Ben DeWitt, who is in his fourth year as the project manager for the theme park's Halloween event, said he's looking for people with the skills of an improv actor and an impish sense of humor. The ideal actor knows this is supposed to be funny, not mean.

"When you come to these auditions, you've got to feel silly," DeWitt said. "If you don't feel silly, you probably are not doing it right."

What he is looking for, he said, is not necessarily the ability to be scary.

"We feel confident we can train them to be scary but we need that dexterity in their performance where they can be silly and feel silly and not be too self-conscious about it."

With up to 400 actors returning every year, the job is clearly a lot of fun, but by no means easy, DeWitt said. Actors must learn how to dodge a punch from scared parkgoers. They have to get in shape for strenuous nights. They perform in all kinds of weather for tasks that can involve jumping, running and popping out of the bushes at just the right moment.

Many of the monsters are aspiring actors and comedians, but many also have average day jobs as school bus drivers or bank tellers.

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The starting pay rate is $9.75 an hour and returning actors make $11. They work from 5 p.m. to the wee hours of the morning each night of Howl-O-Scream.

Howl-O-Scream will have seven macabre haunted houses and open-air scare zones where you may encounter a creepy zombie bride or a clown with an ax. There's also a live show and a bumper car ride invaded by zombies.

The park is currently offering a deal for $29.99 tickets, available through Aug. 16. This year's ticket prices haven't been announced yet, but they ran $50-$65 and up last year. Visit buschgardens.com.

Contact Sharon Kennedy Wynne at swynne@tampabay.com. Follow @SharonKWn.