13
FivePlenco
‘ScaryMen’
PerformatHauntedHouses
ByRussMargenau|
PlastiScope21
Reporter
S
econd only to Christmas in popularity and money spent,
Halloween brings out the kid in all of us. For some, it is
dressingup as a character, handingout candyor finding time
towatch that one scarymovie that gets us every time. For others,
it is an annual trip throughone of Wisconsin’s hauntedhouses to
be scaredout of theirwits.
This iswhere you can find some of Plenco’s finest actors doing
their best at being “worst.” Each year, the Sheboygan Jaycees
sponsor the “Dominionof Terror” hauntedhouse as part of the
annual Halloween festivities to raise funds for worthy projects
in our community. The Sheboygan chapter of the national
organizationwas founded in 1924.
No one is certain from where “Haunted Houses” derived.
Perhaps itwas legendsof anold abandonedhousedown the street,
ormaybe it fedoff of thewide variety of horrormoviesmade or
scary storieswritten.Nomatter their origin, the popularity of the
immersive experience is an annual rite formany, nodifferent from
getting a tree during theChristmas season.
Plenco employees work at two different “haunts” in our area,
one being the Jaycee’s “Dominion of Terror”
in Sheboygan, and the other the independently
run “Splatterhaus” (
inTwoRivers (which
had run in Sheboygan in the past).
ShawnMathes
(Maintenance) andhis
wife Monica are working their fifth
season at the “D.O.T.” andwhen asked
the reason why he participates each
year, Shawn responded “love and joy!”
referring to the thrill of getting into
character and giving the guests to the
house a good scare. The Mathes got
involved after a friend asked them if
theywouldbe interested inhelping, and
in no time they were hooked. Not only does Shawn work as a
“monster” but he also helps finish the various rooms with
anything theymay need from electrical toother construction.
The “Splatterhaus” haunt began in Sheboygan in 1997 (the
“Haus” in itsname a tipof thehat toourGermanheritage) as Jim
Fergades and Scott Schmitz began the venture.
Todd Schmitz
(Maintenance), Scott’s youngerbrother, began as an actor from the
beginning and is inhis 17th year. Working at Lear at the time, he
met
Chonon Ramos
(BMC), who had worked 16 years at the
“haus,” and joined
BobHoeppner
(ResinQC), another 16-year
veteran of haunted houses, in a long running adventure that has
taken them tomany different locations toofferwhat has become
known as “Wisconsin’s Scariest” house.
Newer to the crew is
RussMargenau
(Resin Research Lab),
whohasworked five years at the “Haus.” It has become a family
affair asRuss’wifeLove,Todd’swifeTraci andChonon’s girlfriend
Dawn Sanchezwork there together.
The reasons for getting involved vary from person-to-person,
but there is a common theme of fun among all involved. Todd
enjoys the ambient sounds and aggressiveness of the house,
getting todress up in avarietyof great costumes, and“scaring the
‘stuffing’ (author delete) out of people!” Chonon echoes that
mentality, and loves giving the scaremuchmore than receiving it,
one reasonhe returns each year tobring a new character to life.
Russ had begun as a fan and later came to be an actor himself.
For him it is the element of live the-
ater that he loves. He described it
as follows: “Scary lights
come out of the
ShawnMathes
(Left to right) RussMargenau, ToddSchmitz
