Asking some haunting questions
By Mark Shanahan & Meredith GoldsteinGlobe Staff
October 19, 2010
SpookyWorld visitors shouldn’t fret: the Litchfield, N.H., theme park may be scary, but there’s no evidence that its basement is haunted. Provincetown’s Adam Berry (left), who snagged a place on the SyFy channel show “Ghost Hunters’’ after winning the “Ghost Hunters Academy’’ competition over the summer, visited SpookyWorld over the weekend at the request of its owners, Michael Accomando and Wayne Caulfield, who claim that a basement space on the property — which used to sit under the Italian restaurant Terranova’s — is being haunted by the ghosts of its former owners. After checking out the space, Berry told us he was not convinced. The freakiest thing he saw while he was there with Provincetown Paranormal Research Society cofounder Ben Griessmeyer was a washer that fell to the floor while they were in the restaurant’s old meat locker. Berry said the washer seemed to come out of nowhere. “What we found — you know, I wouldn’t say it was paranormal. But I can say it’s interesting.’’
Former resident appears on SyFy series
By Sarah Carlson
Staff Writer Times Daily Florence AL
A ghost tour through the Gettysburg battlefield in Pennsylvania changed Adam Berry's life — not to mention his outlook on the afterlife.
"Can I go down to that line of trees?" Berry, a former resident of Muscle Shoals, asked the battlefield tour guide one day in 2006. "I wouldn't," the guide replied.
So, Berry and a friend went toward the trees. Within 30 seconds, he says, they saw a giant, floating shadow — almost like mist, except completely white. Gun shots rang out, along with battle cries.
Berry looked for the source of the sounds, perhaps in a hidden speaker near the trees, but he had no luck. He brought another friend down, and he heard the same noises.
"It was kinda crazy, you know?" Berry says. "That right there was probably the thing that took it over the edge, where I really had a drive to find out what was going on."
His drive has led him to a role on the SyFy Channel reality show "Ghost Hunters Academy," a spin-off of the popular "Ghost Hunters" series that premieres 8 p.m. Wednesday. For "Academy," Berry is one of eight paranormal researcher hopefuls vying for a chance to join The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS), whose leaders host the various "Ghost Hunters" series, which also includes "Ghost Hunters International."
TAPS visits locations reported to have paranormal phenomena, and its investigators use equipment and years of experience to try to uncover whether a place is actually haunted.
Berry can't say if he wins or loses, or in how many episodes he'll appear. But show organizers did disclose that sites the academy cadets visit include Mark Twain House, Hartford, Conn.; Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Weston, W.Va.; Fort Delaware, Delaware City, Del., a Union fortress in the Civil War that once housed Confederate prisoners of war; Stanley Hotel, in Estes Park, Colo., which inspired guest Stephen King to write "The Shining"; and Mansfield Reformatory, Mansfield, Ohio, which is the prison used in the film "The Shawshank Redemption."
Born and raised in the Shoals, Berry left Muscle Shoals in 2001 to attend the Boston Conservatory for a degree in musical theater. He has lived in Provincetown, Mass., for three years, and there helped found the Provincetown Paranormal Research Society, spurred by his encounters at Gettysburg.
"I just wanted to create a group where everyone can talk about the paranormal and different experiences they've had," he says.
And Provincetown is full of "different" and even crazy experiences, he says — the town on the extreme tip of Cape Cod is where the Pilgrims originally landed and signed the Mayflower Compact in 1620, before settling across the bay in Plymouth. Its rich history has kept him busy with the research society, but "Ghost Hunters Academy" helped broaden his horizons in terms of research methods.
"Before I did ‘Ghost Hunters Academy,' the extent of my research was going out into a scary location with a tape recorder and trying to communicate with spirits with EVP, Electronic Voice Phenomenon," Berry says.
He had applied for the academy's premiere season in fall 2008 but didn't hear back from show producers until June 2009, only to learn that though they liked his audition tape, they wanted to hold off on using him until a different season.
The acceptance call came in January for season 1.5.
TAPS members Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango serve as instructors to the eight cadets, showing them the different detection equipment used and judging them in areas such as information retention, working in a group and investigative processes. Ultimately, the five categories Gonsalves and Tango judge cadets on, Berry says, are professionalism, skepticism, honesty, composure and technical skills. The instructors then discuss the cadets with TAPS creator Jason Hawes.
"This is a competition, so there is that element of everyone trying to compete against each other, (wondering) who's going to throw who under the bus," Berry says. "Jason ultimately makes a decision about who stays and who goes.
"I like to say it's a really long job interview. And, hopefully, I do good enough to continue and keep going."
Berry describes himself as level-headed and not easily frightened — "I will sit in a scary place as long as it takes" — as well as determined to logically parse the situation before jumping to paranormal conclusions.
"As long as you keep a cool head, and you observe your surroundings, you'll be fine," Berry says. "Because basically you're there to do a job."
He had an early start at experiencing strange encounters, first as a child with a residual haunting. He woke one night to hear what sounded like a dog scratching at the bathroom door. Then he heard the clack clack clack of the dog's nails against the house's hardwood floors, as well as the jingle of a dog tag. The dog would walk into his room and stand in front of his television set, which would then glow.
His family didn't have a dog. Had a relative brought one to the house? No, a dog wasn't there, or at least wasn't supposed to be. "Leave me alone," he told it, and the haunting went away.
Berry kept his cool back then and says he was able to maintain his composure during the show. He appreciates the tactics TAPS members take when approaching a job; they actually set out to debunk tales, and so a healthy amount of skepticism is required, he says.
"Ninety percent of things that happen that people say are paranormal, aren't," he says. "They want it to be paranormal so bad, they just kind of go there. Let's find out what we can find out from a scientific standpoint. Until I can't figure out a reason for it, then and only then can I say it's paranormal.
"I have to give ‘Ghost Hunters' and TAPS credit because they created a venue for the public to actually see a different side of the paranormal, instead of the scary spooky Hollywood movies you get."
Berry remains tight-lipped about how "Ghost Hunters Academy" plays out, but he will say he had fun. And regardless of whether or not he wins, he'll likely keep investigating the paranormal.
"I just hope you pick me, because I will be great for the team," Berry says in his academy audition tape.
"And I look good in night-vision camera."
By Sarah Carlson
Staff Writer Times Daily Florence AL
A ghost tour through the Gettysburg battlefield in Pennsylvania changed Adam Berry's life — not to mention his outlook on the afterlife.
"Can I go down to that line of trees?" Berry, a former resident of Muscle Shoals, asked the battlefield tour guide one day in 2006. "I wouldn't," the guide replied.
So, Berry and a friend went toward the trees. Within 30 seconds, he says, they saw a giant, floating shadow — almost like mist, except completely white. Gun shots rang out, along with battle cries.
Berry looked for the source of the sounds, perhaps in a hidden speaker near the trees, but he had no luck. He brought another friend down, and he heard the same noises.
"It was kinda crazy, you know?" Berry says. "That right there was probably the thing that took it over the edge, where I really had a drive to find out what was going on."
His drive has led him to a role on the SyFy Channel reality show "Ghost Hunters Academy," a spin-off of the popular "Ghost Hunters" series that premieres 8 p.m. Wednesday. For "Academy," Berry is one of eight paranormal researcher hopefuls vying for a chance to join The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS), whose leaders host the various "Ghost Hunters" series, which also includes "Ghost Hunters International."
TAPS visits locations reported to have paranormal phenomena, and its investigators use equipment and years of experience to try to uncover whether a place is actually haunted.
Berry can't say if he wins or loses, or in how many episodes he'll appear. But show organizers did disclose that sites the academy cadets visit include Mark Twain House, Hartford, Conn.; Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Weston, W.Va.; Fort Delaware, Delaware City, Del., a Union fortress in the Civil War that once housed Confederate prisoners of war; Stanley Hotel, in Estes Park, Colo., which inspired guest Stephen King to write "The Shining"; and Mansfield Reformatory, Mansfield, Ohio, which is the prison used in the film "The Shawshank Redemption."
Born and raised in the Shoals, Berry left Muscle Shoals in 2001 to attend the Boston Conservatory for a degree in musical theater. He has lived in Provincetown, Mass., for three years, and there helped found the Provincetown Paranormal Research Society, spurred by his encounters at Gettysburg.
"I just wanted to create a group where everyone can talk about the paranormal and different experiences they've had," he says.
And Provincetown is full of "different" and even crazy experiences, he says — the town on the extreme tip of Cape Cod is where the Pilgrims originally landed and signed the Mayflower Compact in 1620, before settling across the bay in Plymouth. Its rich history has kept him busy with the research society, but "Ghost Hunters Academy" helped broaden his horizons in terms of research methods.
"Before I did ‘Ghost Hunters Academy,' the extent of my research was going out into a scary location with a tape recorder and trying to communicate with spirits with EVP, Electronic Voice Phenomenon," Berry says.
He had applied for the academy's premiere season in fall 2008 but didn't hear back from show producers until June 2009, only to learn that though they liked his audition tape, they wanted to hold off on using him until a different season.
The acceptance call came in January for season 1.5.
TAPS members Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango serve as instructors to the eight cadets, showing them the different detection equipment used and judging them in areas such as information retention, working in a group and investigative processes. Ultimately, the five categories Gonsalves and Tango judge cadets on, Berry says, are professionalism, skepticism, honesty, composure and technical skills. The instructors then discuss the cadets with TAPS creator Jason Hawes.
"This is a competition, so there is that element of everyone trying to compete against each other, (wondering) who's going to throw who under the bus," Berry says. "Jason ultimately makes a decision about who stays and who goes.
"I like to say it's a really long job interview. And, hopefully, I do good enough to continue and keep going."
Berry describes himself as level-headed and not easily frightened — "I will sit in a scary place as long as it takes" — as well as determined to logically parse the situation before jumping to paranormal conclusions.
"As long as you keep a cool head, and you observe your surroundings, you'll be fine," Berry says. "Because basically you're there to do a job."
He had an early start at experiencing strange encounters, first as a child with a residual haunting. He woke one night to hear what sounded like a dog scratching at the bathroom door. Then he heard the clack clack clack of the dog's nails against the house's hardwood floors, as well as the jingle of a dog tag. The dog would walk into his room and stand in front of his television set, which would then glow.
His family didn't have a dog. Had a relative brought one to the house? No, a dog wasn't there, or at least wasn't supposed to be. "Leave me alone," he told it, and the haunting went away.
Berry kept his cool back then and says he was able to maintain his composure during the show. He appreciates the tactics TAPS members take when approaching a job; they actually set out to debunk tales, and so a healthy amount of skepticism is required, he says.
"Ninety percent of things that happen that people say are paranormal, aren't," he says. "They want it to be paranormal so bad, they just kind of go there. Let's find out what we can find out from a scientific standpoint. Until I can't figure out a reason for it, then and only then can I say it's paranormal.
"I have to give ‘Ghost Hunters' and TAPS credit because they created a venue for the public to actually see a different side of the paranormal, instead of the scary spooky Hollywood movies you get."
Berry remains tight-lipped about how "Ghost Hunters Academy" plays out, but he will say he had fun. And regardless of whether or not he wins, he'll likely keep investigating the paranormal.
"I just hope you pick me, because I will be great for the team," Berry says in his academy audition tape.
"And I look good in night-vision camera."
Berry wins ‘Ghost Hunters Academy'
By Sarah CarlsonStaff Writer Times Daily Florence AL
Published: Friday, July 9, 2010 at 3:30 a.m.
Adam Berry's Facebook profile pages, both personal and professional, are flooded with comments of “Congratulations!” He can't even keep up with them all, and joked Thursday he may have to delete his profiles altogether.
“Once I reach 10 million (fans) like Lady Gaga, I don't know what I'm going to do,” he said in a phone interview, laughing.
The former Muscle Shoals resident won season 1.5 of SyFy's “Ghost Hunters Academy” on Wednesday, beating out seven other contestants for an investigator spot on the original “Ghost Hunters” TV series as a member of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS).
“It's really exciting,” Berry said. “We finished filming May 18, so I've been keeping it a secret for a really long time.”
But that wasn't hard for the Muscle Shoals High School graduate, who now lives in Provincetown, Mass., to do.
“It wasn't difficult,” he said. “I don't want to ruin it, you know? It's better to keep it a secret and let everyone find it out on their own.”
That included not telling his family — even his parents, Junior and Sylvia Berry, of Muscle Shoals. The couple had a bunch of friends at their house Wednesday to watch the finale, with everyone screaming with excitement once Adam was named the winner. He called his surprised parents soon after the episode.
“It's quite an accomplishment,” Sylvia Berry said. “He worked really hard for that. It was a little hard (to wait), but we knew he was doing the best he could, so we just didn't worry about it.”
She, too, was flooded with congratulations Thursday as friends and family commented on how hard Berry worked on the show.
Sylvia is proud of her son, but Adam's fascination with the paranormal was not passed down from his parents. Sylvia likes ghost stories and haunted houses like the average person, she said, but you won't find her camping out trying to communicate with spirits via Electronic Voice Phenomenon.
“It was interesting, though, to see what was happening on the show,” she said. “It makes you kind of question if it's really happening or not.”
After a series of paranormal investigation challenges, during which the academy's cadets explored reportedly haunted locations such as asylums and jails, the finale had Berry and contestants Eric Baldino and Michelle Tate battling it out for the TAPS spot at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colo., the hotel that inspired author Stephen King to write “The Shining.”
The finale was one of Berry's favorite challenges, and the creepy events that went down — including flashlights illuminating on command without the cadets' help — indeed were real, he said.
Berry stayed in one of the hotel's many haunted rooms, he said.
“I had crazy personal experiences during that week,” he said. “I heard kids running in the hallway, my shoes were moved. ... The place was really scary.”
Berry routinely beat out the other cadets to win challenges. He served as team leader twice, and he was never nominated for dismissal from the series by other cadets during judging.
He thought Baldino would win, however, thinking him the TAPS type — more quiet, reserved. Though shocked he won, Berry said he is excited for his future work with TAPS, likely to begin in the fall. He will appear on “Ghost Hunters” as the full-time paranormal investigators' equal, not their student.
“No longer having to compete is the best thing,” Berry said. “You don't have to watch your back, you don't have to worry about certain things.”
Berry is thankful for the opportunity, as well as for the show's fans and those who have cheered him on.
“If (you) watch the show, continue to watch,” he said. “You never know what may happen in the future, and I think the show can only get better.”
His parents certainly will be tuning in.
“Oh yeah, we'll keep up with him,” Sylvia Berry said. “As long as he's on TV, we'll be watching.”On the NetOn the Net
Miss any of “Ghost Hunters Academy”? Watch full episodes at syfy.com/ghosthuntersacademy/episodes.php.
By Sarah CarlsonStaff Writer Times Daily Florence AL
Published: Friday, July 9, 2010 at 3:30 a.m.
Adam Berry's Facebook profile pages, both personal and professional, are flooded with comments of “Congratulations!” He can't even keep up with them all, and joked Thursday he may have to delete his profiles altogether.
“Once I reach 10 million (fans) like Lady Gaga, I don't know what I'm going to do,” he said in a phone interview, laughing.
The former Muscle Shoals resident won season 1.5 of SyFy's “Ghost Hunters Academy” on Wednesday, beating out seven other contestants for an investigator spot on the original “Ghost Hunters” TV series as a member of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS).
“It's really exciting,” Berry said. “We finished filming May 18, so I've been keeping it a secret for a really long time.”
But that wasn't hard for the Muscle Shoals High School graduate, who now lives in Provincetown, Mass., to do.
“It wasn't difficult,” he said. “I don't want to ruin it, you know? It's better to keep it a secret and let everyone find it out on their own.”
That included not telling his family — even his parents, Junior and Sylvia Berry, of Muscle Shoals. The couple had a bunch of friends at their house Wednesday to watch the finale, with everyone screaming with excitement once Adam was named the winner. He called his surprised parents soon after the episode.
“It's quite an accomplishment,” Sylvia Berry said. “He worked really hard for that. It was a little hard (to wait), but we knew he was doing the best he could, so we just didn't worry about it.”
She, too, was flooded with congratulations Thursday as friends and family commented on how hard Berry worked on the show.
Sylvia is proud of her son, but Adam's fascination with the paranormal was not passed down from his parents. Sylvia likes ghost stories and haunted houses like the average person, she said, but you won't find her camping out trying to communicate with spirits via Electronic Voice Phenomenon.
“It was interesting, though, to see what was happening on the show,” she said. “It makes you kind of question if it's really happening or not.”
After a series of paranormal investigation challenges, during which the academy's cadets explored reportedly haunted locations such as asylums and jails, the finale had Berry and contestants Eric Baldino and Michelle Tate battling it out for the TAPS spot at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colo., the hotel that inspired author Stephen King to write “The Shining.”
The finale was one of Berry's favorite challenges, and the creepy events that went down — including flashlights illuminating on command without the cadets' help — indeed were real, he said.
Berry stayed in one of the hotel's many haunted rooms, he said.
“I had crazy personal experiences during that week,” he said. “I heard kids running in the hallway, my shoes were moved. ... The place was really scary.”
Berry routinely beat out the other cadets to win challenges. He served as team leader twice, and he was never nominated for dismissal from the series by other cadets during judging.
He thought Baldino would win, however, thinking him the TAPS type — more quiet, reserved. Though shocked he won, Berry said he is excited for his future work with TAPS, likely to begin in the fall. He will appear on “Ghost Hunters” as the full-time paranormal investigators' equal, not their student.
“No longer having to compete is the best thing,” Berry said. “You don't have to watch your back, you don't have to worry about certain things.”
Berry is thankful for the opportunity, as well as for the show's fans and those who have cheered him on.
“If (you) watch the show, continue to watch,” he said. “You never know what may happen in the future, and I think the show can only get better.”
His parents certainly will be tuning in.
“Oh yeah, we'll keep up with him,” Sylvia Berry said. “As long as he's on TV, we'll be watching.”On the NetOn the Net
Miss any of “Ghost Hunters Academy”? Watch full episodes at syfy.com/ghosthuntersacademy/episodes.php.
School spirits
By KATHI SCRIZZI DRISCOLL
[email protected]
May 30, 2010
Adam Berry had what seemed like a ghostly encounter, with noises and visions, at his childhood home. Four years ago, the 26-year-old had another paranormal experience, at the Civil War site of Gettysburg – with sounds and sights of a battle – that others witnessed with him.
Berry has been eager to find out more about what could be behind these sightings, and now he has professional help: training in paranormal investigations with Syfy network's “Ghost Hunters” crew.
Berry will host a viewing party starting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Provincetown Art House Theatre, 214 Commercial St.
Berry, a Provincetown-based actor-singer, was chosen from more than 60,000 applicants to be one of eight would-be researchers starring in the new season of the franchise's reality competition, “Ghost Hunters Academy.” The six-episode contest begins at 9 p.m. Wednesday and takes Berry and the other recruits around the country to test their knowledge and skills at “haunted” sites.
“People are going to be hooked from the very beginning,” he predicted in a phone interview last week from Provincetown. “The show is CRAZY.”
Syfy touts international hit “Ghost Hunters” as the top paranormal franchise in cable. The Season 6 premiere of the original show in March had more than 2.4 million viewers and won its time slot among adults 18-54, according to a Syfy press release. Repeats are also a big draw.
Berry has been a fan of the show and its offshoots (and similar TV series) for years, and helped to start Provincetown Paranormal Research Society a couple of years ago to investigate some Outer Cape mysteries (with “mediocre” success so far, he said).
“I grew up Southern Baptist, with a heaven and a hell, and I believe in something in between and in guardian angels,” he said, calling paranormal activity “a passion” he “takes very seriously.”
“For me, investigating the paranormal helps me to try to find what the answers are and what's out there.”
Berry sent an application in August 2008 as “Ghost Hunters Academy” was being launched. Ten months later, a casting agent called to get a video audition, in which Berry mentioned his desire to disprove people who think “ghost-hunting is BS.”
Agents liked him, but not for the first round, which aired in November. In January, Berry got a call asking if he was still interested. He said yes, got a congratulatory e-mail within hours, and “immediately dropped everything” here (including two theater shows) to go on the road in February in the special RV for TAPS, The Atlantic Paranormal Society featured on the show.
“I got giddy – I couldn't believe I was actually doing a show with people I've been watching since 2004,” Berry said. He described the experience as “like a hard-working vacation. I got to see a lot of places I've never seen.”
Berry will host a public premiere party Wednesday night at Provincetown Art House Theatre. He can't talk about where the show went, what happened during filming or, of course, who won an invitation to join the “Ghost Hunters” team.
He actually doesn't know how he'll be portrayed once the many hours of footage are edited. “Honesty is important to me, and everything I (said) was how I was feeling at the time,” he said, while rivals sometimes played games. “I hope I'm not like an idiot, but I'm sure there will be times I think (something) didn't really go down like that but it makes good TV.”
Preparation and filming were grueling, he said, with recruits trained on TAPS equipment (such as thermal-imaging cameras and digital recorders), then taken to “haunted” sites to try to find scientific explanations for odd phenomena. That meant many nighttime hours trying to contact ghosts or record paranormal activity, plus hours during the day sifting through evidence.
The filming took place only on the job – without what Berry called “external drama” – and contestants were judged on professionalism, skepticism, composure, honesty and technical know-how. The elimination segments, Berry said, were nerve-racking, taking hours for various camera angles versus a live show like “American Idol.”
Berry, an Equity actor, thinks his training at Boston Conservatory and his wide-ranging experience with area companies – including Provincetown Counter Productions, Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, Shakespeare on the Cape, New Provincetown Players, Provincetown Theater Company, CTEK Arts and Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival – helped him to rise to the top of the applicants and served him well on the show.
“I can talk, I'm a people person and I have a lot of energy,” he said. “School gave me a lot of confidence in what I do.”
He's personable and engaging in his audition video, part of which can be viewed at syfy.com and all of which is on YouTube. He talks about past experiences, describes his investigative style, and jokes about how good he looks on night-vision camera.
Berry can't talk about future work with “Ghost Hunters,” but he will amp up local investigations. The TV show “made me a little more of a skeptic, and that's the best way to be,” he said.
With his new experience and equipment, his local team will seek out supposedly haunted Provincetown spots this summer – and Berry said stories show there are many.
Anyone interested in a confidential investigation can contact Berry's team at [email protected]. The society is also on Facebook, where its motto is “Ghosts were once people, too.”
By KATHI SCRIZZI DRISCOLL
[email protected]
May 30, 2010
Adam Berry had what seemed like a ghostly encounter, with noises and visions, at his childhood home. Four years ago, the 26-year-old had another paranormal experience, at the Civil War site of Gettysburg – with sounds and sights of a battle – that others witnessed with him.
Berry has been eager to find out more about what could be behind these sightings, and now he has professional help: training in paranormal investigations with Syfy network's “Ghost Hunters” crew.
Berry will host a viewing party starting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Provincetown Art House Theatre, 214 Commercial St.
Berry, a Provincetown-based actor-singer, was chosen from more than 60,000 applicants to be one of eight would-be researchers starring in the new season of the franchise's reality competition, “Ghost Hunters Academy.” The six-episode contest begins at 9 p.m. Wednesday and takes Berry and the other recruits around the country to test their knowledge and skills at “haunted” sites.
“People are going to be hooked from the very beginning,” he predicted in a phone interview last week from Provincetown. “The show is CRAZY.”
Syfy touts international hit “Ghost Hunters” as the top paranormal franchise in cable. The Season 6 premiere of the original show in March had more than 2.4 million viewers and won its time slot among adults 18-54, according to a Syfy press release. Repeats are also a big draw.
Berry has been a fan of the show and its offshoots (and similar TV series) for years, and helped to start Provincetown Paranormal Research Society a couple of years ago to investigate some Outer Cape mysteries (with “mediocre” success so far, he said).
“I grew up Southern Baptist, with a heaven and a hell, and I believe in something in between and in guardian angels,” he said, calling paranormal activity “a passion” he “takes very seriously.”
“For me, investigating the paranormal helps me to try to find what the answers are and what's out there.”
Berry sent an application in August 2008 as “Ghost Hunters Academy” was being launched. Ten months later, a casting agent called to get a video audition, in which Berry mentioned his desire to disprove people who think “ghost-hunting is BS.”
Agents liked him, but not for the first round, which aired in November. In January, Berry got a call asking if he was still interested. He said yes, got a congratulatory e-mail within hours, and “immediately dropped everything” here (including two theater shows) to go on the road in February in the special RV for TAPS, The Atlantic Paranormal Society featured on the show.
“I got giddy – I couldn't believe I was actually doing a show with people I've been watching since 2004,” Berry said. He described the experience as “like a hard-working vacation. I got to see a lot of places I've never seen.”
Berry will host a public premiere party Wednesday night at Provincetown Art House Theatre. He can't talk about where the show went, what happened during filming or, of course, who won an invitation to join the “Ghost Hunters” team.
He actually doesn't know how he'll be portrayed once the many hours of footage are edited. “Honesty is important to me, and everything I (said) was how I was feeling at the time,” he said, while rivals sometimes played games. “I hope I'm not like an idiot, but I'm sure there will be times I think (something) didn't really go down like that but it makes good TV.”
Preparation and filming were grueling, he said, with recruits trained on TAPS equipment (such as thermal-imaging cameras and digital recorders), then taken to “haunted” sites to try to find scientific explanations for odd phenomena. That meant many nighttime hours trying to contact ghosts or record paranormal activity, plus hours during the day sifting through evidence.
The filming took place only on the job – without what Berry called “external drama” – and contestants were judged on professionalism, skepticism, composure, honesty and technical know-how. The elimination segments, Berry said, were nerve-racking, taking hours for various camera angles versus a live show like “American Idol.”
Berry, an Equity actor, thinks his training at Boston Conservatory and his wide-ranging experience with area companies – including Provincetown Counter Productions, Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, Shakespeare on the Cape, New Provincetown Players, Provincetown Theater Company, CTEK Arts and Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival – helped him to rise to the top of the applicants and served him well on the show.
“I can talk, I'm a people person and I have a lot of energy,” he said. “School gave me a lot of confidence in what I do.”
He's personable and engaging in his audition video, part of which can be viewed at syfy.com and all of which is on YouTube. He talks about past experiences, describes his investigative style, and jokes about how good he looks on night-vision camera.
Berry can't talk about future work with “Ghost Hunters,” but he will amp up local investigations. The TV show “made me a little more of a skeptic, and that's the best way to be,” he said.
With his new experience and equipment, his local team will seek out supposedly haunted Provincetown spots this summer – and Berry said stories show there are many.
Anyone interested in a confidential investigation can contact Berry's team at [email protected]. The society is also on Facebook, where its motto is “Ghosts were once people, too.”
Provincetown man wins 'Ghost Hunter Academy'
By Kathi Scrizzi Driscoll[email protected]
July 08, 2010
Adam Berry is an official ghost hunter.
The Provincetown resident won last night's finale of Syfy network's "Ghost Hunters Academy," so he has been invited to start filming in the fall as part of the regular team for the cable channel's popular franchise.
"It's really thrilling," said Berry, a 26-year-old Equity actor, cabaret performer and coordinator at West End Salon and Spa, in a telephone interview after the finale aired last night. "I'm honored. I was a novice going into it and I had to work really hard." I hope I can continue to do what they want me to do."
Berry said he was "freaking out" at his victory, but was "ready to join the 'Ghost Hunters'" investigating paranormal activity at locations around the country for next year's season. The finale was filmed in mid-May, but under the terms of his contract he's had to keep his win a secret for more than six weeks.
Berry has hosted local gatherings this summer to watch some episodes and was at The Waterford Inn, Café and Tavern in Provincetown in front of TVs last night with more than 40 friends and fans of the show.
"There were loud cheers," he said last night of the reaction to his win. "You could hear them in Truro, I think."
Berry, 26, was one of eight cadets on this summer season of the reality show, after being chosen from more than 60,000 applicants to be trained in paranormal investigation by experts from TAPS, The Atlantic Paranormal Society featured on Syfy's three "Ghost Hunters" shows. The cadets were tested at potentially haunted prisons, an insane asylum and the Mark Twain House in Connecticut.
Syfy touts international hit "Ghost Hunters" as the top paranormal franchise in cable, drawing millions of viewers. Berry impressed the experts from the start, being chosen as team leader three times. "I need an investigator who is going to listen, going to do what is being asked of him and who's flexible and going to see outside the box," lead "Ghost Hunters" investigator Jason Hawes said to Berry at the end of last night's show. "And I see that in you."
Last night's finale took place at the Stanley Hotel, which inspired Stephen King to write "The Shining" and where Berry said he slept in one of the most haunted rooms there.
The cadets had some potential "interactions" in rooms when flashlights they were not holding turned on and off in answer to questions.
"The flashlight is no joke," Berry said last night. "When I said 'that's crazy,' it was. I couldn't believe it."
Berry said it's been fun to watch his exploits on TV, and he's enjoyed seeing portions of investigations he was not part of. He felt the show accurately portrayed his experience despite the dozens of hours of footage that never air during the six hour-long episodes.
Berry, long interested in the paranormal after having unexplainable experiences of his own, reveled in learning all the investigation techniques.
"It's a school," he said. "What you see on TV is really a watered-down version of everything we learned. It was truly an academy."
Berry, the founder of Provincetown Paranormal Research Society, credits his success to recognizing the importance of being a team player, rather than "struggling on your own."
He gives the Syfy editors credit "for putting together a great show," but his biggest disappointment was the poor quality of the audio recorded at the "haunted" sites, which included what sounded like ghostly responses to questions the cadets asked when they were supposed to be alone. Berry says those sounds were crystal clear on tape, but "on TV, you can barely hear (them)."
A fan of the "Ghost Hunters" shows for years, Berry said that his being a part of that franchise now "is still very surreal."
By Kathi Scrizzi Driscoll[email protected]
July 08, 2010
Adam Berry is an official ghost hunter.
The Provincetown resident won last night's finale of Syfy network's "Ghost Hunters Academy," so he has been invited to start filming in the fall as part of the regular team for the cable channel's popular franchise.
"It's really thrilling," said Berry, a 26-year-old Equity actor, cabaret performer and coordinator at West End Salon and Spa, in a telephone interview after the finale aired last night. "I'm honored. I was a novice going into it and I had to work really hard." I hope I can continue to do what they want me to do."
Berry said he was "freaking out" at his victory, but was "ready to join the 'Ghost Hunters'" investigating paranormal activity at locations around the country for next year's season. The finale was filmed in mid-May, but under the terms of his contract he's had to keep his win a secret for more than six weeks.
Berry has hosted local gatherings this summer to watch some episodes and was at The Waterford Inn, Café and Tavern in Provincetown in front of TVs last night with more than 40 friends and fans of the show.
"There were loud cheers," he said last night of the reaction to his win. "You could hear them in Truro, I think."
Berry, 26, was one of eight cadets on this summer season of the reality show, after being chosen from more than 60,000 applicants to be trained in paranormal investigation by experts from TAPS, The Atlantic Paranormal Society featured on Syfy's three "Ghost Hunters" shows. The cadets were tested at potentially haunted prisons, an insane asylum and the Mark Twain House in Connecticut.
Syfy touts international hit "Ghost Hunters" as the top paranormal franchise in cable, drawing millions of viewers. Berry impressed the experts from the start, being chosen as team leader three times. "I need an investigator who is going to listen, going to do what is being asked of him and who's flexible and going to see outside the box," lead "Ghost Hunters" investigator Jason Hawes said to Berry at the end of last night's show. "And I see that in you."
Last night's finale took place at the Stanley Hotel, which inspired Stephen King to write "The Shining" and where Berry said he slept in one of the most haunted rooms there.
The cadets had some potential "interactions" in rooms when flashlights they were not holding turned on and off in answer to questions.
"The flashlight is no joke," Berry said last night. "When I said 'that's crazy,' it was. I couldn't believe it."
Berry said it's been fun to watch his exploits on TV, and he's enjoyed seeing portions of investigations he was not part of. He felt the show accurately portrayed his experience despite the dozens of hours of footage that never air during the six hour-long episodes.
Berry, long interested in the paranormal after having unexplainable experiences of his own, reveled in learning all the investigation techniques.
"It's a school," he said. "What you see on TV is really a watered-down version of everything we learned. It was truly an academy."
Berry, the founder of Provincetown Paranormal Research Society, credits his success to recognizing the importance of being a team player, rather than "struggling on your own."
He gives the Syfy editors credit "for putting together a great show," but his biggest disappointment was the poor quality of the audio recorded at the "haunted" sites, which included what sounded like ghostly responses to questions the cadets asked when they were supposed to be alone. Berry says those sounds were crystal clear on tape, but "on TV, you can barely hear (them)."
A fan of the "Ghost Hunters" shows for years, Berry said that his being a part of that franchise now "is still very surreal."
Can acting help with hunting ghosts?
By KATHI SCRIZZI DRISCOLL | Published: JULY 9, 2010
Adam Berry, the local Equity actor who won the international Syfy reality series “Ghost Hunters Academy” this week, says he downplayed his theater and musical background while on the show but may try to use it in future paranormal investigations.
After beating seven other cadets chosen from 60,000 applicants, Berry, 26, will now join the regular “Ghost Hunters” team for that Syfy hit show. During his “academy” run, he was identified as a “salon coordinator” – which he is at West End Salon and Spa in Provincetown – but didn’t discuss his extensive theater background.
He and the “Academy” producers separately decided not to talk much about that, he says, because they didn’t want to give the impression that he was acting on camera and “faking” it.
“They were really proud I didn’t say that from the beginning,” he says about his acting background. “I wanted them to take me seriously.”
Berry thinks his training at Boston Conservatory and his wide-ranging experience with area companies – including Provincetown Counter Productions, Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, Shakespeare on the Cape, New Provincetown Players, Provincetown Theater Company, CTEK Arts and Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival – helped him to rise to the top of the applicants and served him well on the show.
“I can talk, I’m a people person and I have a lot of energy,” he said when the show first started airing. “School gave me a lot of confidence in what I do.”
Berry said this week that interacting and improvising with characters on stage helped him to feel comfortable trying to communicate with spirits in various haunted locations. He also credits his high school marching band days with teaching him the importance of teamwork, and his spa duties for helping with time, task and people management skills.
In this week’s finale, Berry and two competitors investigated the Stanley Hotel in Colorado, the inspiration for Stephen King’s “The Shining.” When Berry went into a music room, he tried to draw a piano-playing ghost out by playing recorded piano music and taking time-lapse photos of any reaction.
After the finale aired, Berry revealed that he also sang to any spirits in that room, though that was not shown on the episode. He hopes he can use his musical and theater skills to his advantage in the future, though.
Berry says there’s a paranormal investigation theory that playing period music can help draw out old spirits. “I definitely believe in that,” he says. “I may use that on ‘Ghost Hunters.’”
Berry starts filming “Ghost Hunters” episodes in the fall, but has not been given any information about his schedule, where he might be going or when his season would air on Syfy. He just hopes fans will continue to watch the hit show and follow his exploits.
So TV audiences may get to see the considerable theatrical skills that Provincetown audiences have enjoyed for the past several years. For the rest of us, Berry performs a regular cabaret show in Provincetown and is part of the cast for “Candide,” which Counter Productions will open July 21 at Whaler’s Wharf.
By KATHI SCRIZZI DRISCOLL | Published: JULY 9, 2010
Adam Berry, the local Equity actor who won the international Syfy reality series “Ghost Hunters Academy” this week, says he downplayed his theater and musical background while on the show but may try to use it in future paranormal investigations.
After beating seven other cadets chosen from 60,000 applicants, Berry, 26, will now join the regular “Ghost Hunters” team for that Syfy hit show. During his “academy” run, he was identified as a “salon coordinator” – which he is at West End Salon and Spa in Provincetown – but didn’t discuss his extensive theater background.
He and the “Academy” producers separately decided not to talk much about that, he says, because they didn’t want to give the impression that he was acting on camera and “faking” it.
“They were really proud I didn’t say that from the beginning,” he says about his acting background. “I wanted them to take me seriously.”
Berry thinks his training at Boston Conservatory and his wide-ranging experience with area companies – including Provincetown Counter Productions, Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, Shakespeare on the Cape, New Provincetown Players, Provincetown Theater Company, CTEK Arts and Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival – helped him to rise to the top of the applicants and served him well on the show.
“I can talk, I’m a people person and I have a lot of energy,” he said when the show first started airing. “School gave me a lot of confidence in what I do.”
Berry said this week that interacting and improvising with characters on stage helped him to feel comfortable trying to communicate with spirits in various haunted locations. He also credits his high school marching band days with teaching him the importance of teamwork, and his spa duties for helping with time, task and people management skills.
In this week’s finale, Berry and two competitors investigated the Stanley Hotel in Colorado, the inspiration for Stephen King’s “The Shining.” When Berry went into a music room, he tried to draw a piano-playing ghost out by playing recorded piano music and taking time-lapse photos of any reaction.
After the finale aired, Berry revealed that he also sang to any spirits in that room, though that was not shown on the episode. He hopes he can use his musical and theater skills to his advantage in the future, though.
Berry says there’s a paranormal investigation theory that playing period music can help draw out old spirits. “I definitely believe in that,” he says. “I may use that on ‘Ghost Hunters.’”
Berry starts filming “Ghost Hunters” episodes in the fall, but has not been given any information about his schedule, where he might be going or when his season would air on Syfy. He just hopes fans will continue to watch the hit show and follow his exploits.
So TV audiences may get to see the considerable theatrical skills that Provincetown audiences have enjoyed for the past several years. For the rest of us, Berry performs a regular cabaret show in Provincetown and is part of the cast for “Candide,” which Counter Productions will open July 21 at Whaler’s Wharf.
STAGEBUZZ.COM
FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2010Provincetown Actor and Cabaret Performer Wins "Ghost Hunter Academy"By Byrne Harrison
Provincetown actor and cabaret performer Adam Berry won the SyFy network's "Ghost Hunters Academy" on the July 7th episode.
I saw Berry perform last year in his caberet act with Ben Griessmeyer at the Waterford Inn and was pleased to hear that he and Griessmeyer would be performing again this summer. Amazing to hear that this talented actor and singer is also the founder of Provincetown Paranormal Research Society and an official Ghost Hunter.
FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2010Provincetown Actor and Cabaret Performer Wins "Ghost Hunter Academy"By Byrne Harrison
Provincetown actor and cabaret performer Adam Berry won the SyFy network's "Ghost Hunters Academy" on the July 7th episode.
I saw Berry perform last year in his caberet act with Ben Griessmeyer at the Waterford Inn and was pleased to hear that he and Griessmeyer would be performing again this summer. Amazing to hear that this talented actor and singer is also the founder of Provincetown Paranormal Research Society and an official Ghost Hunter.