Horror Host Retrospective: Dr. Shock II

Dr. Shock

Real name: Jack Gray
Years active: 2010-present, East Tennessee area and Internet

Carrying on a tradition is difficult, and in the world of horror hosts doubly so. Some fans won’t accept a new face in old makeup. When Tommy Reynolds left Chattanooga, it seemed the end for Dr. Shock and Shock Theatre.

And it was, until 2010 when local musician Jack Gray resurrected Shock Theatre and brought the skull scepter back to Chattanooga. Appearing at local conventions, the new Shock Theatre cast stalked the green hills of Hamilton County, showing up when and wherever.

In 2011, fans were treated to a rock opera dubbed “Hauntsville”, explaining the absence of Dr. Shock and the rest of the cast. With that, Gray brought Nurse Goodbody (as played by Constance Haynes) and Dingbat back to the public eye in a big way. With new character Dirge the Dream Reaper, who also voices Dingbat, the new cast is ready to bring the scary back to East Tennessee.

Unlike the previous incarnation of Shock Theatre, the new show is presently an online only, viewable at the show’s YouTube page and website. While there are plans to have the show on television, you can catch all the episodes online or see them live around the East Tennessee area.

“And if you should awaken in the still of the night, the scream you hear may be your own”