For Cheri Herzog, getting into character in the name of history is an exciting pastime.
Herzog, of the Village of Poinciana, spent six months learning her lines for the role of Lady Thorn and master of ceremonies ahead of her debut performance at the historic Baker House in Wildwood for The Cursed Castle: A Baker House Murder Mystery.
With chairs for the audience filling the parlor, living room and library on the first floor of the home, the dinner show was hosted on Monday, Thursday and Friday on the second and third week in October and told the story of a potential royal wedding gone wrong.
Herzog, who started volunteering at the home a year and a half ago, said she began volunteering after attending several programs in support of her best friend of 40 years, Kevy Kennedy-Smith, of the Village of Liberty Park.
“It’s not just about knowing your lines for the show,” Herzog said. “You have to know how to perform to an audience sitting in three different rooms to make sure they can all hear and see you. The best part of the experience is that it truly is a team effort. I love these guys.”
From the previous murder-mystery event to the upcoming Spirited Ladies and Gents tour, the volunteers of the Historic Baker House in Wildwood are bringing a special spooky twist to the history of the Victorian-era home for the Halloween season.
Sen. David H. Baker moved his family to Wildwood in 1886 and it took four years for the two-story home with its wraparound porch to be built. The home stayed in the Baker family for six generations before it was donated to the city in 2012. Along with upkeep on the craftsmanship of the home, the city and volunteers work to host programs and tours that welcome the public inside.
Jillian Boyar, City of Wildwood recreation specialist, said the events give local residents a chance to explore the home that has stood for 130 years.
“The murder-mystery event always sells out quickly,” Boyar said. “People seem to enjoy the fun and unique atmosphere. The creativity of our volunteers continues to shine with them performing inside the home because they stage everything to where everyone can see and hear perfectly.”
Boyar said because of the limited seating room inside the home, the city agreed to bring its upcoming performance to a bigger venue.
The Cursed Castle: A Baker House Murder Mystery will be performed 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Warfield Auditorim, 98 S. Warfield Ave. Doors will open at 4 p.m. Tickets for the event, which includes a food truck and cash bar, are required and are $15 per person.
The Spirited Ladies and Gents tour will return for another year for just two days, with there being four tours available at 4 and 6 p.m. Oct. 28 and Oct. 29 at the historic home, 6106 County Road 44A.
Organizers request guests arrive 30 minutes in advance to check in for the tour and get a peek at the Victorian medical pre-show that features old medical devices. Reservations are required and tickets cost $20 per person.
Boyar describes tours for the reenactment as “not-so-spooky” and rooted in the spirit of good fun with volunteers of the Baker house portraying three generations of Baker women.
Mary Baker, wife of David H. Baker; Lorena Baker, Mary’s daughter-in-law who married her son David M. Baker; and Gladys Baker, a third-generation Baker, take guests through the house and tell scripted stories based on the lives of actual Bakers and people who worked in the home.
The script, which has been approved by members of the Baker family, also is based on a chapter of “Haunted Sumter County Florida,” written by Deborah Hollingsworth, a volunteer at the home and medium who was hired to do a reading of the home years ago.
Hollingsworth, who has been volunteering at the home for six years, said she will portray Gladys.
The Fruitland Park resident enjoys keeping history alive in an entertaining way.
“There are not a lot of historic homes left and we are so fortunate because the Historic Baker House is in such great shape,” Hollingsworth said. “Being an historic actor for almost 20 years, I started out a little shy. I have such a wonderful time bringing history to life here with the other volunteers.
Hollingsworth, who confirmed things she picked up during her reading with docents, said while the script is fiction, multiple volunteers who have spent time at the house report having had their own personal paranormal experience.
“One thing I love to say is that the house has a way of haunting people back to it,” she said. “Almost every volunteer here has had a unique paranormal experience that they feel brings them back to the house.”
Boyer said there are about 30 volunteers who work at the historic home in different capacities and they are always looking for extra hands to assist around the holidays.
“Some volunteers do literally everything and others show up once a year to participate in the cleanup events we do,” she said.
Tanya Mikeals, of Wildwood, has volunteered at the Historic Baker House since 2015.
Mikeals, who will play Mary Baker in the upcoming The Spirited Ladies and Gents Tour, tries to embody what she feels Mary would be like during performances.
“Mary was a lively person who was a socialite and proud of her home,” Mikeals said. “Being a lifelong resident of Wildwood, I love the history and to bring it to life in my community.”
To register or learn more about the tours at the Historic Baker House, visit wildwood-fl.gov or call 352-461-0134.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
