Moapa Valley Ghost Walk A Haunting Hit

By CORINNE MESSER

The Progress

Evening motorists through downtown Overton last weekend might have been taken aback by the sight of a headless horseman in a long black cape, riding up and down Moapa Valley Boulevard. But this wasn’t a figment of the imagination, it was the Moapa Valley Community Theatre (MVCT) 4th annual Ghost Walk in progress.

Held amid perfect weather on the evenings of Oct. 13-14, the Ghost Walk featured MVCT cast members dressed in period attire from 1790 to bring to life Washington Irving’s classic ghost tale: Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

The adventure began in front of the Infowest office. Here tour groups were organized to depart every 15 minutes. Each was led by an MVCT cast member armed with a script filled with corny Halloween jokes to keep the atmosphere fun and lighthearted.

As the tour group strolled along the main street, several stops provided a different perspective on the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, as recounted by different historic “townsfolk.” The evening began with a spooky musician, Clint Brill, who introduced the legend through song while playing his guitar and harmonica.

The mayor’s wife, played by Sierra Staley, was the next stop, warning the guests about the headless horseman’s vengeance and the town’s portal to the supernatural. She punctuated her narrative with a blood-curdling shriek that took everyone by surprise.

The next stop featured beautiful Katrina Van Tassel played by Melissa Rebman. She was a beautiful and flirtatious young woman courted by two suitors: the good-humored and popular Brom Bones and the town’s intelligent and talented school teacher Ichabod Crane. Ichabod’s mysterious disappearance left her with questions about her choice of suitor.

At the next stop, Brom Bones (Aaron Kohntoopp), Ichabod’s rival, lamented how he had won Katrina’s heart until Ichabod arrived in town. Feeling threatened, Brom challenged Ichabod to ”Chicken and Broomstick,” a frightening midnight ride through the cemetery. Ichabod took the challenge but was never seen again. Some have said that Ichabod’s vanishing act was attributed to his encounter with the Headless Horseman.

Katrina’s father (Tuston Brown) and grandmother (Ann Hardy) expressed concern about the dark cloud cast by the legend of the headless horseman.

A quick stop at Ink and Amethyst gift shop offered ghost extractions, with owner Rey Jarrel capturing and bottling up one particular ghost that decided to accompany one of the young guests.

The tour continued with a Hessian Soldier (Will Ragland) who recounted the tragic backstory of the Headless Horseman, his head lost to a cannonball in the Revolutionary War.

A haunted talking pumpkin head (narrated by Coralynn Taylor) claimed to light up the night with its fiery glow as the pumpkin of the headless horseman.

Miss De’s Parks and Rec spooky dancers entertained the groups with Halloween-themed dancing to the song “Day-O.”

In front of the Old Pioneer Theatre, Ichabod Crane (Raymond Robbins) himself explained his love for Katrina and his rivalry with Brom. The line between the natural and supernatural blurred one evening, sealing Ichabod’s fate.

Throughout the tour the headless horseman (Stephanie Bunker) was always present; lurking in the shadows and riding slowly past the groups, perfectly timed to send shivers down the guest’s spines.

The author of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” Washington Irving (Aaron Davidson), left the audience with an intriguing question: “Did Ichabod escape that fateful night, or did reality and the supernatural collide and he became the Headless Horseman?”

For many attendees like eight-year-old Ella Brown and her younger sister Chloe, the Ghost Walk is an annual tradition. Ella was captivated by the headless horseman, while Chloe enjoyed the singing spook with the guitar and harmonica.

Bryce and Becky Hardy, also on the tour, had their favorite moments. Bryce was moved by Katrina’s grandmother lamenting her fate, while Becky enjoyed the clever Halloween “Dad” jokes told by the tour guide.