Nighttime air breathes tension at Murphys Creek

There might not be a better place on this Earth to see "The Woman in Black," a chilling tale adapted from a Susan Hill book now playing at the Stevenot Winery Amphitheater. What's so wonderful about this Murphys Creek Theatre production is its apparent simplicity, yet upon closer inspection there's a lot of technical wizardry going on.

Graham Scott Green stars as "The Actor," a man with far too many skeletons in his closet. He's hired Kipps, played by Yancey Quinones, to help him stage a reading of sorts of a collection of his thoughts on some of his skeletons.

It seems The Actor used to be a solicitor, and he was once sent by his firm to deal with the estate of a reclusive woman who lived out in the middle of the marshes of England. As the young man arrived at the township that was closest to the remote estate, he gets the feeling he's none too welcome. Once he arrives at the manse, he knows something's afoot, but the flimsy details have a way of vanishing like the mist on the marshes.

I cannot go much further into detail, because I would spoil one of the best ghost stories I've ever heard. The beauty of this tale however, lies in the unique way that it is told. The Actor and Kipps who is evidently a theatrical director, judging by the way he treats The Actor at the onset effortlessly switch roles as they prepare The Actor's presentation for relatives and friends. As the duo rehearses, Kipps simply slips into character as the young solicitor, with The Actor playing all the ancillary characters to perfection.

As the story – and the supposed production – progress, we learn there were many things in the woman's past, most of which were fairly unseemly or unsettling. We also learn that even before her death, there was a kind of curse that befell almost anyone who came into contact with the elderly recluse.

Quinones does a grand job skipping from director to player as he helps The Actor perfect his production, and he's especially good at allowing the audience to slip into his shoes with him. During the opening night performance, chills came not only from the night air, but from Quinones' ability to make everyone watching go through his motions with him.

Green is no stranger to the Mother Lode boards, and he really stands tall as a man with too many emotions running just under his skin. I especially enjoy the way he can elicit laughter from a line that other actors might deliver as serious text. And when Quinones needs to take center-stage, Green always lets him, easily stepping aside to let the other actor do his work. These two carry this show effortlessly, and the dialogue flows very smoothly.

There are three women cast as the shrouded woman; Susannah Allatt, Shelby Richardson and Lily Stoicheff, but you won't be able to tell which actress has donned the eerie apparition's garb during which scenes. And that garb is worth mentioning, if not for the simple fact that the clothing on the ghostly figure is so alarming without being shocking. Kathy Mazzaferro wouldn't accept program credit for her lush costumes for Murphys Creek's earlier Theatre Under the Stars plays this year, but she's stepping into the spotlight with this show, and her work on this year's finale serves the story perfectly.

One last thing to mention: If you made a donation to Murphys Creek last year for the group's new sound system, do NOT miss this play. Once the ghastly goings on begin, the audience is immersed in noises from cackling crows to busy London streets and the effects are unnerving as all get out. (Add to that the bats seen swooping above the crowd at sunset and you have the makings of a spooky night on the lawn!)

I can truthfully say I have never been scared at a live theatrical performance in my life, until now. Chills ran up and down my spine several times, and I think it's to Green and co-director Jeremy Forbing's credit that the scares were all part of the show, not added in to bring gasps from the crowd. That's really the thing with this play; it's not completely frightening until one makes the drive back toward Murphys along Sheep Ranch Road that the "what ifs" conjure creepy thoughts in your head.

It's too bad Murphys Creek couldn't stage this show during the chill that is October. Performing in the throes of All Hallow's Eve would place the cherry atop this show's sundae. If Shakespeare isn't your bag but you want to see some wonderful live theatre, make your way to Murphys for this one! Bring some DEET and a blanket or two; you'll need one to sit on and one to perhaps cover your eyes.