'Bell, Book & Candle' continues Huntington Playhouse's season

The 2013 Huntington Playhouse continues with a production of the classic comedy “Bell, Book & Candle.” This production opens Aug. 15 and runs through Sept. 8 with performances on Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. with one Sunday matinee on Sept. 8 at 2 p.m. It is directed by Chuck Tisdale.

Set in New York, Gillian Holroyd is one of the few modern people who can actually cast spells and perform feats of supernaturalism. She casts a spell over an unattached publisher, Shepherd Henderson, partly to keep him away from a rival and partly because she is attracted to him. He falls head over heels in love with her at once and wants to marry her. But witches, unfortunately, cannot fall in love, and this minute imperfection leads into a number of comedic difficulties.

The theatre will also be offering fall classes to students starting Sept. 14  from 9-10:30 a.m. There will be a session called “An Intro To Theatre” where students in grades 1 to 4 will learn the basic elements of theater with a fun Halloween theme and have instruction in acting and dancing. They will the learn the step-by-step process of putting on a play. The class will culminate in a performance of a short play, "A Halloween Happening" based on the children's book by Adrienne Adams. 

A second session, also starting on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., is an advanced class where  students in grades 5 to 8 will explore the history of musical theater and learn how to be triple-threat performers. The classes will offer instruction in acting, singing and dancing while learning about shows with a Halloween twist such as "Sweeney Todd," "Jekyll and Hyde," "Little Shop of Horrors," "Phantom of the Opera" and others. The class will culminate in a cabaret style performance showcasing the students performing songs, monologues/scenes and dances from the shows we study during the sessions.

Pricing, details and registration will be available on the Huntington Playhouse website, www.huntingtonplayhouse.com, starting Aug. 10. 

Huntington Playhouse is located at 28601 Lake Road in Bay Village and is an official affiliate of the Cleveland Metroparks. For reservations to any production, call 440-871-8333.