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I can easily remember my long ago, teenage trip to Broadway to see “Bell, Book and Candle” with Rex Harrison and his then wife Lilli Palmer. And that means I can also easily remember not being anywhere nearly as delighted as I was a few days ago with the current, antic and animated Bay Street production of John Van Druten’s simultaneous send-up of contemporary witchery and ode to the power of love.
The reasons for delight are multiple and many. First, there’s the joy of once again seeing that rare species, the Well Made Play. Exposition, fascinating characters, lots of plot, all caught up in a rising tide. Suspense. Conflict. Laughs. Knowledge. Climax. Denouement. And all of it unspooling with seeming effortlessness.
There’s nothing wrong with experiment; in fact, there’s everything right about it. But in an age when stage experimentation has become more and more cinematic, it’s comforting now and then to encounter a form that’s so thoroughly theater-oriented as the Well Made Play.
The playwright, Mr. Van Druten, practices this dramatic form (of which he is a master) by telling, with insouciant skill, thinly layered stories: This one is about the problems of a young, pretty and adventurous witch who, living in a combination coven and classy apartment, takes a dare and first enchants her upstairs tenant before defying the first rule of her spiritual trade by violating its supreme tenet against falling in love.
The rest of the cause for contemporary delight lies in the quality of the Bay Street production of “Bell, Book and Candle.” Beautifully cast, marvelously acted, ebulliently directed and stunningly designed, it’s an early-season, signal success.
Gary Hygom’s elegant and embracing set, with its niches and nooks and crannies containing more than at first greets the eye, is lit with knowing and glowing variety by Paul Miller, who sets a wordless mood.
Adding to this ambiance is the sometimes obnoxious but mostly enhancing sound design of Jill B.C. DuBoff and the costumes of Toni-Leslie James, with ladies’ hats and seamed stockings setting the action solidly in a time when telephone numbers had name tags in the form of exchanges. The many magical effects the script calls for have been created by the technical crew with humor and cunning, and are put in play with subtle aplomb by the spiritually gifted members of the cast.
Jack Hofsiss directs the proceedings with his customary magic, drawing every ounce of humor and mystery from the text and eliciting stunning performances from a quintet of remarkable actors.
Jarlath Conroy handily steals every scene in which he appears as Sidney Reditch, the hilariously eccentric author of witchcraft histories. His is a polished diamond of a performance.
Michael McGrath balances a jaunty exterior with an evil interior by incorporating a light touch. The result is an airy, striking performance that carries within it the happiest echoes of “Blithe Spirit.”
Gordana Rashovich is endearingly malicious as the aunt who tries to keep her niece Gillian on the crooked path of witchcraft. As she exhibited as the notorious Dr. Wu in last season’s “Shanghai Moon,” she knows how to fill a stage with her mere presence.
Sam Robards, while not yet as charismatic as his illustrious father, has the acting chops and is nearly there. His performance as Shepherd Henderson, the upstairs neighbor who falls under the enchantment of suggestible witch Gillian Holroyd, smoothly and believably runs the gamut from blind strength to warm surrender.
As Gillian Holroyd, the witch with a human heart, Arija Bareikis is sweet and adorable and strong, tracking her long transition with touching sincerity and a bright presence.
Bay Street has begun its season with satisfying solidity, once more sustaining its reputation as a haven for pure and intriguingly presented theater.
“Bell, Book and Candle” continues at Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor every night but Monday at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7, and with Wednesday matinees at 2 p.m. and Saturday matinees at 4 through June 28. The box office number is 725-9500, or visit www.baystreet.org.
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