>>By Emily DeSpain, Staff Writer

Directed by Sara Gotcher and performed in the Trahern Theatre, “Dark of the Moon” was quite an experience.

It’s a classic story of a small, extremely Christian town trying to set a young independent woman up with the town hunk while she is pining away for the unconventional man of her dreams: a witch.

John, the witch boy, makes a deal with the Conjur Man and Conjur Woman: they make him human so he can be with Barbara Allen, the human love of his life.

In turn, she must marry him and stay faithful to him for a year, otherwise he becomes a witch again.

John and Barbara Allen battle through prejudice, hard times and promiscuous witches to make their love work between worlds. However, not all fairytales have happy endings. The play started out happy-go-lucky with everything falling into place.

There was a little confusion regarding the “Parental Discretion Advised” label on the front of the program.

What could be taboo about this play? It’s full of moonshine, sex and country accents – your average Southern spring break.

Then, all of a sudden, the warning is understood as the person beside you leans over and asks, “Are they going to do it in a church?”

Sadly, yes, they actually have sex in a church. The world starts to fall apart, and you find yourself rooting for the unlikely couple to win out against all odds.

“The production of the play has been long, sensitive and arduous,” Gotcher said. “I am exceedingly proud of my actors and everyone else who have dedicated themselves to the task.”

Even though there were a few hitches in the evening, such as bumping into the set and a very overactive, creepy preacher, “Dark of the Moon” tugged at the audience’s heart strings and made us believe that witches can actually fly. TAS