It’s one thing to act in a horror film, it’s quite another to be a part of the real thing. Last week, New York Film Academy students and NYFA Acting for Film instructor, Blanche Baker (“Sixteen Candles” and “The Girl Next Door” ), teamed up with Gotham Paranormal Research Society to help with an investigation at the oldest and one of the most haunted houses in Manhattan, the Morris-Jumel Mansion. The mansion is also noted as the location where Lin Manuel Miranda wrote two songs for the Broadway smash-hit, “Hamilton.”
“A big part of acting is learning to take chances,” said Baker. “Which means, taking risk…but these risks don’t usually involve the paranormal.”
In the hopes of documenting paranormal activity from the alleged resident ghosts, students used their acting skills to reenact historical site-specific scenes from the early 19th century. Each student played roles of people who have lived in the house, including Eliza Jumel, who is said to frequently haunt the house.
According to Angela Artuso, Director of Gotham PRS, the use of “trigger objects,” or objects from the period in history a ghost is said to be from, has been a very effective tool for paranormal researchers trying to document activity.
“Just being able to be in a time period to get a reaction from anything that could possibly be living here is just so fun and cool,” said Pilar Martinez (2nd-year Musical Theater student).
After acting out three scenes on each floor, students and paranormal investigators attempted to communicate with any entities present using K2 meters and white-noise radio scanners like the EchoVox and Spirit Box. The result? Responses to their questions as well as odd electrical anomalies around the house caught on-camera and on audio devices.
Students and faculty left the mansion both spooked and intrigued by the captured footage, and hope to return to further investigate the possible paranormal activity at the Morris-Jumel Mansion.