By Richard Pacheco
The 2nd
Story Production of the classic John Van Druten play, "Bell,
Book and Candle" is refreshing, spirited and well acted. Onstage attempts
at efforts which involve magic can go badly awry, but not here. The Broadway
play was turned into a film with Kim Novak and James Stewart and on Broadway
with Rex Harrison and Lilli Palmer in the lead roles.
The three
act play is set in the fifties and encompasses the efforts of a witch to cast a
spell on one of her tenants around Christmas. She finds him attractive, but
that is more or less somewhat pedestrian until she learns from her Aunt
Queenie, also a witch, that the publisher,
Shepard Henderson is engaged to her old college nemesis. That is all
Gillian needs to shift into high gear to break up the engagement and extract
her revenge for past wrongs. She rushes in with cat and conjuring to make it
all come about. Yet she still wants to keep the truth about her being a witch
from her new boyfriend despite the efforts of her aunt and brother Nicky to
clue him in somewhat subtlety.
Valerie
Westgate is Gillian, the witch with a desire for love even if it means the
possibility of losing her powers. She is sheer delight and watching her transform from disinterested and only
mildly concerned about her attractions to Shep to nearly being obsessed with
him when she learns he is the fiancé of her hated college rival is fun,
mischievous fun. She is poised and dazzling as she delivers one liners with
well aimed perfection and consistently. When she discovers her family and a
writer researching witchcraft for a new book are gong to reveal her to Shep and
she shines.
David Nando Rodgers is Shepard Henderson, a man caught up in things he doesn't understand
and beyond his control. He delivers a deft mixture of somewhat bumbling
innocent and unsuspecting dupe with finesse and comic excellence.
Then there
is Auntie Queenie, played with flair and aplomb by Isabel O'Donnell. She is
well intentioned but somewhat inept as a witch. She is lovable and endearing.
There is
also Nicky, Gillian's meddling brother.
He oozes self confidence and flair, cuts a dashing figure. He has a flamboyant
flair that is entertaining.Chalres La Frond is excelelnt, the perfect mixture of sass and irreverence.
Finally
there is the witchcraft book writer, Sidney Redlitch, who has her own somewhat
wrong ideas about witchcraft from information fed to her to cover up the
witches' antics. She finds herself gliding from
and arrogant know it all to someone in awe and fear in the face of real
witchcraft, trembling and in serious doubt. Susan Bowen Powers handles it with skill and
sincerity.
This is all
brought vividly and entertainingly together with the able direction of and sure hand of Mark Peckham. He evokes such
as definite and elegant rapport from his cast. This is a real classic comedy
that sparkles vividly to life with a terrific cast and great direction. Jullian
Eddy's scenic design is apt and excellent for the in the round space.
Through
Sept. 3 at 2nd Story Theatre
at 28 Market St. in Warren.
Tickets are $20 to $40. For more information, go to www.2ndstorytheatre.com or call (401)
247-4200.
