Silver Scream puts real people in the horror movie setting

The SWT Lyceum Theatre was happy to benefit from hoards of scared patrons last week.
 
Devon Oman, the mastermind behind the Silver Scream Escape Room, was able to construct the hauntingly fun experience, of which all the proceeds funneled back into the Gull Lake-based theatre.
 
A total of 14 groups, ranging from three to six people, attempted to solve the puzzling mystery of the horror movie setting. Together, they helped to raise over $1,600 for the SWT Lyceum Theatres renovation project.

The SWT Lyceum Theatre was decorated to bring out a sense of foreboding, to put people on edge.

"We had people running through the theatre," said Oman. "We had people jumping, screaming, and we (the team) had some fun with it. I loved it!"
 
The setting for the Silver Scream was to first enter the theatre to watch a horror movie. A few minutes in, things start to go wrong, and the movie changes. Finally, the real escape room begins when an attendant says something is wrong with the film projector, and they need to shut it down. They then lock everyone in, and that's when the fun begins.
 
From there, people had to figure out the puzzles, endure being jump scared by actors, and find their way through a series of rooms.
 
"I combined the escape room with a whole movie aspect and a haunted house and live theatre all into one," said Oman.

A maybe less than living member of the audience sits, awaiting the party to stumble across them.

Only two teams managed to make it through the entire event, figuring out each puzzle, and managing to escape from the haunted theatre.
 
"We kind of got the event started a being a bit too challenging," admitted Oman. "So we kind of made it a bit more easier and even if they didn't get through, we still made them go through the final act because that was a big moment. We made them go through the tunnel no matter what, even if they ran out of time, we still made them do it because we wanted them to go home having still had a fun time."
 
Oman had expressed a desire to do this escape room a year ago, adding it to his many projects. He has previously hosted escape rooms, the last being in 2019. In the meantime, he has written, acted in, and directed his own series of horror films. He always donates the proceeds from his projects to institutions like the SWT Lyceum Theatre, or the Swift Current SPCA. His drive to share his passion with the community around him is something he uses to fuel his ability to bring these projects to life, always centred around his love for horror movies.
 
"I've always loved horror movies," said Oman. "They always fascinated me as a kid. My parents brought me up with horror movies and I just love how, even if it's not October, I can still bring these events, and people still have a blast going to them."