Tricks, treats at local haunted houses BY JAY BODAS Correspondent Joseph Loughlin, a freshman at J.P. Stevens High School, plays a member of the living dead at last weekend's haunted house assembled by the Harry Blackstone Society of Magic and the J.P. Stevens High School Theatre Company. EDISON - Some Halloweens, it can be just plain torture scaring up something fun to do. But not this year. Over the weekend Edison and Woodbridge townships each played host to a sprawling haunted house, where thousands were given a good fright. But those unfortunate souls who missed out will still have another chance to experience true terror at Metuchen's Raconteur Bookstore on Main Street, beginning tonight at 7:30 p.m. "We are doing what we call 'The Haunted Bookshop' for the first time ever, with the monsters inspired by classic horror stories," said storeowner Alex Dawson. "Participants will be given a tour through the store by a freshly murdered Scotland Yard detective, Inspector Lestrade, who was a character from the Sherlock Holmes series." The windows of the storefront will be blacked out, and the shop's interior will be illuminated by colored lights, Dawson said. "There will also be a low rolling fog throughout the store, produced by a fog machine," he said. "Each aisle will be curtained off, and we will have characters from the 'Phantom of the Opera' and the 'Island of Dr. Moreau,' among others, as well as Edgar Allan Poe reciting his famous poem 'The Raven.' " Dawson said that his decision to hold the event was inspired by how much he enjoyed Halloween in his youth. "I grew up in Cranbury, and I was able to 'trick or treat' through town unhampered," he said. "I liked the idea of being able to provide something for the kids in town to do that is fun and spooky, but is also somewhat educational and rooted in classical literature." The Raconteur's Haunted Bookshop tour will take approximately 20 minutes, with snacks and cider provided at the end, courtesy of Martha's Moveable Feast. Saturday night, an estimated 2,000 visitors attended Woodbridge's enormously successful Haunted Castle, organized by the Woodbridge High School Choir. Now in its 10th year, the event was held inside the former OfficeMax on Amboy Avenue. "The parents of the students built the castle out of plywood, and the kids decorated it," said Woodbridge High School choir director Beth Amory. "There are 14 rooms inside, with 75 to 80 kids performing acts such as a funeral scene, a voodoo room, and a torture chamber. At the end, participants exit through a spinning vortex tunnel." The choir group usually raises anywhere from $10,000 to $16,000 through the event, Amory said. "Student travel is very expensive, with many of our trips for choir costing $75,000 to $80,000," she said. "Ten percent of the money we raise this year will go to the American Cancer Society." Meanwhile, in neighboring Edison, the Minnie B. Veal Community Center played host last Friday and Saturday nights to a massive haunted house assembled by the Harry Blackstone Society of Magic and the J.P. Stevens High School Theatre Company. An estimated 2,000 visitors came through the event over the two days, said John Spiess, Edison Recreation Department program coordinator. "This is probably our biggest event all year when it comes to getting kids to come out," Spiess said. "In addition to the haunted house, we gave away almost 1,200 pumpkins, with every child from 2 years old to the sixth grade getting a free pumpkin and candy. If it hadn't rained on Saturday, there would have also been an outdoor costume parade." J.P. Stevens Theatre Company member Kristina Amaral participated in the haunted house for the second year in a row, playing the role of Rag Doll, a sadistic children's toy that seeks revenge on those who do not play with her. Amaral, a junior, said she takes part as a way to perform while at the same time being able to give back to the community. "We all volunteer our time, as we do not get paid for it," she said. "I do it both because it is really nice to help people out and because it is also another way of acting. A dream of mine is to be on Broadway one day, since I love performance, and this was a great way to experience a different kind of character." The admission fee for tonight's Haunted Bookshop at the Raconteur Bookstore in Metuchen is $5 and may be paid at the door. Children under age 10 must be accompanied by an adult. Call (732) 906-0009 for more information.