McNary High School in Keizer, Oregon put on this disturbing Romeo and Juliet-type story by Howard Richardson and William Berney set in the Smoky Mountains during the Great Depression. John is a male witch who has a tryst with young and lovely Barbara Allen, leaving him wanting to become a human and marry the girl. Despite the objections of his fellow witches who consider humans to be petty play toys, and the more mature Conjure Man who sees the danger to innocents, John finds the Conjur Woman who is willing to grant John’s wish so long as he marries Barbara and the girl stays faithful to him for a full year.

The deal struck, John appears in town, looking to wed Barbara. Suspicious that the odd stranger might be a witch, the parents nevertheless relent to the marriage, figuring Barbara would have been hard to marry off with her dubious past (she’ll be nineteen next month, but “she’s already done a heap of living”), and they don’t want to take care of her the rest of their lives. But when Barbara and John’s baby is born looking sort of like a bear with burnt skin, the fear of the townspeople is rekindled, and they take matters into their own hands.

Ariel Tolman is Barbara Allen, beginning the show as a playful, confident teenager easily flattered by men and proud of, as she puts it, “the stout man I’m a-marryin’.” But in the second act, when her baby is born and burned by her family and neighbors before she has even seen it, and when she is alone and confused and terrified by the people she has known all her life, Ariel’s fear and loneliness seem palpable, and her final scene painfully tragic. Joseph St. Peter is her witch husband John, and he does seem a little otherworldly, as if he wants to have a connection with Barbara and the world, or at least talk himself into believing he has one, but it’s a connection that never really exists. It fits with his character, who claims he will be a hardworking husband, but who soon keeps making excuses for not doing tedious human labor. And it fits with his last scene when his lack of humanity comes through in striking fashion.

A few of the other highlights in this one include Sarah Currin as Barbara’s talkative mother (with a great accent) discussing her daughter’s slim prospects with Mr. Allen (Ross Budreau) and Preacher Haggler (Grant Abbott) over a few jugs of “mountain dew.” Carmen Stubblefield and Maria Kelly are terrific as the mischievous, darkly fun, worldly but girlish and very inhuman young witches who delight in taunting John and causing pain in humans. Their youthfulness is in contrast to the old, one-legged Conjur Woman (Leah Keller) who just seems to be holding onto life for the thrill of creating despair. The ensemble gets to partake of some folksy hoedowns to bluegrass music (with help from fiddler Sophie Lott and choreography by Zoe-Lisa Banton). But it’s all prelude to their last scene – a frenzied religious revival worshipping the baser instincts of humanity.

Performs November 9 - 17, 2007.

Rob Hopper
Executive Director
National Youth Theatre

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