Experiment with fear

For the last seven months, 200 students and faculty members from the Art Institute of… For the last seven months, 200 students and faculty members from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh have been hard at work developing the 25-minute experience that is the Khymira Experiment – a unique and creative haunted attraction. This weekend is your last chance to experience Khymira, and Carrie Butler, Director of Public Relations at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, fills us in on the details of the spooky project.

How did you become involved in the Khymira Experiment?

In a variety of ways; it was a combination of a number of people’s interests. The school had started a nonprofit division, a foundation to raise scholarship funds for students in financial need or for merit scholarships. So we wanted to do a fundraiser anyway, and in the meantime, one of our faculty members who runs the drama department was interested in pursuing a haunted attraction here at school. On top of that, we also had a long-term partnership with the Mall at Robinson, and they were interested. So, all of these ideas came together right at the right time, and we decided to do it.

How is the Khymira Experiment different from traditional haunted houses?

In a couple of ways. One is that it is very much a dramatic production. The actors portray different characters in it, and it has a whole conceptual theme to it where you are being confronted with fears and phobias, but also always looking for the main character, which is Dr. Khymira. The other reason that we’re different is because everything is student-built. A lot of haunted attractions purchase manufactured items, whereas 80 percent of everything in ours is hand-designed and hand-built.

What types of fears and phobias can visitors expect to confront?

Dentists, clowns, rats, spiders, being buried alive, the dark …

This is the first year the Art Institute has done this. Should we expect this to become an annual event?

We think it might become an annual event, we’re not 100 percent sure about that yet. We’re certainly going to evaluate our performance this year from a variety of aspects. I think people are hopeful.

There are numerous different haunted attractions in Pittsburgh right now. Why should Pitt students choose to attend this one?

It’s really something you have to see to believe. The actors are absolutely phenomenal. I think that I always had high expectations for what it would be like because of our students’ creative skills, but I never in a million years dreamed the students would be as spectacular in the acting as they are. It is so entertaining what they are doing; their characters. On the creative side, there’s so much there: animation, special effects make-up, props. That’s all fantastic, but the acting is just so entertaining. That’s what I’ve been telling all of my friends.

This is the Khymira Experiment’s final weekend. It will be open tonight from 6 p.m. to midnight and tomorrow from noon to midnight. Tickets are $10-$13. It is located in the parking lot of the Mall at Robinson. For more information, call (412) 788-0816.