By John Lyle Belden

As the spooky season closes in on us, we have a fresh production of the witchy stage comedy “Bell, Book and Candle,” by John Van Druten at Mud Creek Players, directed by Dani Lopez-Roque.

Gillian (Heather Jones), a powerful witch living in 1960s New York, is taking a fancy to mortal Shep Henderson (Jamie Kenjorski), a book publisher who lives upstairs. However, upstairs from him is Gillian’s silly Aunt Queenie (Stacy Embry) who has been misbehaving. During a rather eventful Christmas Eve, the witches and Gillian’s stylish warlock brother Nicky (Stephen Greiner) set up a magickal night for Shep, and even summon Sidney Redlich (Lou Cavallari), the non-witch author and witchcraft “expert.”

As any spellcaster will tell you, if you put a lot of energy out there – especially in matters of love –there will be serious circumstances. This charming rom-com even has a subtle nod to a certain sitcom that this play helped inspire.

As typical of shows of the era, all characters have nice outfits, thirst for cocktails, and something clever to say. Jones’ performance gives the perspective of a selfish personality slowly discovering the pain and potential good of empathy. Embry’s Auntie is naturally charming, while Greiner feels too fabulous to change. Kenjorski, though playing the “victim” here, has Shep realize perhaps his choices weren’t entirely his own before he encountered his witchy neighbors. Cavallari is both comic foil and a cautionary lesson on the difference between what we think we understand and what we actually do.

This fun, bewitching show opens Mud Creek’s 75^th Anniversary Season, celebrating the company’s past hits – “Bell, Book and Candle” was staged here in 1953, not long after its Broadway debut. This production runs through Saturday, Sept. 28, at the MCP Barn, 9740 E. 86^th St., Indianapolis (Castleton/Geist area). Get tickets at mudcreekplayers.org.