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The "Deadwood Depot" haunted house
is being produced at the Kenwood Depot in
October by Darknician, a consortium of Sonoma County artists dedicated
to the creation of quality haunted house experiences. The event will be a benefit for the Kenwood Community Club, which manages the Kenwood Depot's public programs as well as the historic landmark's preservation. "Deadwood Depot" will not be your average black-plastic, jump-out-and-scare-you type of haunt -- Darknician's crew aspires to a higher level of sophistication, incorporating structured storytelling supported by a well-trained cast and a variety of technological innovations developed over 10 years of haunt experience. The haunt will be a period piece set in the early days of the Depot, and will include elements of tragedy, mysticism, dark comedy and frontier justice. Designed as a guided tour, visitors will go on a journey through the Depot as a "way station between worlds", where very few of the passengers are living. Darknician's founder, Doug Faxon of Santa Rosa, has a background that includes music, electronics, computers, graphics, sound design, 3-D virtual environment design, and theater. Doug has been working in local theater productions for the past three and a half years, at venues such as Rohnert Park's Spreckles Performing Arts Center, Santa Rosa's 6th Street Playhouse, Sebastopol's Sonoma County Repertory Theater, and Healdsburg's Raven Performing Arts Theater. "Darknician started out as a group of friends who have one thing in common - a love of all things Halloween. We started out in backyard haunts, and have tried to do bigger, better haunts each year," Faxon says. "This haunt is designed with older children and adults in mind... Mainly because we have a hard time pulling back for the little ones," he adds with a mischeivous grin. Faxon and fellow Darknician Ken Rawson produced a haunt last year for the children at the Kenwood School, where they seemed to "pull back" enough for the kids to thoroughly enjoy the haunt. During that event, they met Grace Svitek (KCC board member and avid Halloween enthusiast). When Faxon mentioned Darknician was looking for a venue for future haunts, Svitek mentioned the Depot, and by February, Darknician was already deep in the planning process. "Deadwood Depot" will run six nights only, on October 19, 20, 21, 26, 27 and 28. Tickets will be sold at the venue - $12.00 for adults, $8.00 for children 12 and under. Tickets may also be purchased online through Darknician's website, at |