Tall and hunched with a long gray beard, conjur man gives John the “I told you so” look. Panicked and desperate, John just wants to be with the one he loves and so goes “Dark of the Moon,” directed by John DeMita.
John the witch boy, played by Christian LeMay, theater major, from the University of California, Irvine, has lost his bet with conjur woman, played by Candice Callins, 18, theater arts major. She had warned John that he needs to learn a lesson.
The play takes place in the 30’s, where the townspeople live at the valley below Mt. Baldy, which reminds the people of the valley and the audience of the mountain and the magic that dwells there.
The stage allows an easy transition from scene to scene, transforming the set from the top of Mt. Baldy where the conjur folk and witches live to the valley below it.
Some of the religious customs and dancing show a fun side to the play, but the audience will know that at the root is the romance of John the witch boy and Barbara Allen, played by Angelica Martinez, 21, undecided, which is both complicated and tragic.
But what’s going to shock viewers will be the revival scene.
The scene starts out as a sermon by Preacher Haggler, played by Nick Cagle, as he tries to have the town confess its sins.
This is Martinez’s most powerful scene. You see her struggle to stay true to John, but also to stay true to her religion.
She is the strongest and most convincing character in the play and the audience will be captivated by her charisma.
This play has unexpected twists and turns, and it is definitely worth the $15 ticket price. It will be playing tomorrow and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Campus Theatre.