Review: BELL WRINGER at Capital Fringe Festival

  What happens when you mix recent Broadway hits, GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY and BRIGHT STAR, turn them slapstick comedy ghost stories and then sprinkle an Andrew Jackson puppet on top just for good measure? The answer: Pinky Swear Productions’ entry into this year’s Capital Fringe Festival, BELL WRINGER. 

A new musical written by Seth Alcorn and the show’s star (and Pinky Swear Artistic Director) Karen Lange, the show is self-admittedly a bit all over the place. BELL WRINGER embraces this notion as it asks potential audiences on the Capital Fringe website “hootenanny or horrory show? Ghost story or get-together?” I’d tick the “all of the above” box if I could.  

Interwoven with this zany story is a beautiful score of American bluegrass and folk tunes, which the program says relies heavily on “customized lyrics to existing, traditional songs and originals.” As if Karen Lange hadn’t done enough for the show, she is even credited with the music and lyrics for some of the show’s original tunes. 

Luckily for Fringe audiences, this put-it-all-in-a-blender style of creation combines to produce a unique and enjoyable piece of theatre. To describe such a piece further is daunting, but let’s go on this journey together, shall we? 

BELL WRINGER is a comedic ghost story about a small Appalachian town in rural east Tennessee known as Red River. It takes place in the early 19th century and feels like something that should be told around a campfire in October somewhere deep in the woods. It’s the kind of piece that would pair well with a cup of hot cider and a thick blanket on a crisp autumn night. For those, like myself, who thrive in the fall with our light sweaters and apple cider donuts, it was a nice reminder of the season creeping slowly towards us and a welcome respite from the sweltering July humidity of this past Saturday evening’s performance. 

To be clear, the show is NOT performed next to a campfire; mercifully, it’s inside the well-cooled confines of the Edlavitch Jewish Community Center’s Theatre J. 

The show introduces us to its central character, the Bell Witch (Karen Lange), rather quickly. We learn in the show’s opening song the witch has been targeting the town’s wealthy and prominent Bell family for some time now with the focus of her ire being the patriarch, John or “Jack” Bell (James Finley). We come to learn Jack isn’t exactly a model citizen. He’s a power-hungry man with a rather black soul, and he behaves like the real monster of the story to his wife and family especially. This makes him an easy target for the Bell Witch’s evil doings, which are hilariously more annoying than inherently evil, and audiences will find themselves rooting for Jack’s demise.  

Meanwhile, Bell’s daughter, Betsy (Jordan Avellino), is betrothed to a local commoner named Josh Gardner (Nicola Collett). However, the lovely Betsy is coveted by her teacher (Tom Howley), a man several decades her senior. Filled with jealousy of the younger Josh Gardner, Betsy’s teacher clumsily summons the Bell Witch to stop the marriage so he can have the young maiden for himself. It’s here we get to see the depth of Lange’s Bell Witch for the first time, and she’s far from the cackling, scary hag we’ve come to know in more traditional tales of evil spirits. Instead, she’s funny and sarcastic with an acerbic wit about her. For instance, in a very Monty Python way, she insists on being called “Kate.” Still, she’s been summoned by the teacher to carry out his nefarious requests, and she has a duty now. Kate agrees to stop the marriage and also reveals her ultimate goal is to “kill Jack Bell.” 

Perhaps influenced by Kate’s witchy powers, Betsy calls off her engagement with Josh thinking it will appease the witch and save the family from further haunting. (Spoiler: it doesn’t.) The script perhaps skips a bit here as Betsy’s teacher gets his way and marries Betsy. Inexplicably, we never see Betsy, Josh, or the teacher again. Instead, the plot turns its attention to Jack Bell and his battle with Kate, which has reached a breaking point. Exasperated, Jack resorts to calling in the hilarious Dr. Mize (Tom Howley), a witch hunter from Kentucky, to ward off Kate once and for all. As you’d expect, this plan fails miserably as Dr. Mize is chased all the way back from whence he came.

Kate eventually makes good on her promise as Jack meets his demise. The show is capped by a tremendously funny funeral scene that is perhaps the highlight of the evening. However, the audience is left with more questions than answers by a plot with some glaring holes, but as we’re told in the lyrics, “sometimes things just happen” and “some people just need dyin’.” In other words, don’t ask too many questions here, and you’ll have a good time. As for the Bell Witch, she’s done her duty in Red River for now, but vows to return in 7 years…and then again in 107 years. Time will tell when, and where, the Bell Witch will re-appear next. 

BELL WRINGER is well suited for the Capital Fringe. It’s quirky and funny with toe-tapping music and has a ROBBER BRIDEGROOM-esque American folklore feel to it. As has been mentioned a few times, the story is far from polished or completion, but one could argue that’s the appeal of Fringe shows. There’s a certain excitement on seeing a production in whatever stage of development it may be in. BELL WRINGER certainly has that charm albeit with parts of the story that can be difficult to follow. I found myself asking the same question as one cast member at the end who muses, “who was this about? What was this about?” Although the show embraces this quality, it’s perhaps a bit frustrating for audiences looking for coherent plot points to grasp. 

The talented cast of performers does a good job of distracting you from the missing plot points, at least. Karen Lange’s Bell Witch is stellar as she hits all the right beats as she weaves herself throughout the tale. Jordan Avellino’s voice is easily the best in the company, and she’s cast perfectly as the young Betsy Bell. James Finley plays the villanous Jack Bell to perfection, and Nicola Collett’s Josh Gardner is equally as well-drawn and defined. Tom Howley’s comedic chops are well on display as he alternates between several roles in the piece, and it’s difficult to choose a favorite between his roles as Betsy’s teacher and Dr. Mize the witch hunter. They’re both equal scene stealers. Nicole Ruthmarie rounds out the cast as the Bell matriarch but shines most when she takes on her ensemble turns. 

Every cast member outside of Lange plays at least one other role in this ensemble-driven piece. Each player, in fact, assumes the role of a townsperson that’s charged with deliviring some well-timed exposition throughout. However, these ensemble scenes were often murky and confusing with several new character names being introduced without the benefit of a costume change. The actors do their best to employ different voices, postures, and gestures to convey a new character, but it does take a few scenes before the audience realizes who these people are and what they’re doing on stage. Future incarnations of the production would do well to flesh these parts out as they have the potential to take a good piece of theatre and turn it into a great one. 

Special mention is deserved here with the on-stage band that included Zach Brewster Geisz (Guitar, Mandolin), Sarah McKnight (Banjo), and Seth Bixler (Fiddle). These three do an admirable job of bringing this bluegrass score to life. The actors jump in on the fun at certain points throughout, but this is perhaps an element that should disappear in future stagings. There were, unfortunately, several moments when well-intentioned company members failed to keep a beat in time with the music.

As is the growing trend in more intimate pieces of musical theatre these days, this small but mighty band is plopped right on stage with the actors. It could be a nice touch, especially in a more intimate Fringe setting, but the result here is that BELL WRINGER suffers mightily from a crowded playing space. Though the band is placed upstage, the ensemble actors are placed far too close in chairs around the centerstage playing space. It takes an already intimate space and makes it somehow smaller - much to the production’s detriment. It creates cramped quarters where there needn’t be and confines comedic moments that need literal space to breathe. Kudos to the actors who persevered against this challenge to still tell the story well. 

BELL WRINGER is certainly not a finished product, but it has several fine elements that make it an enjoyable piece of original musical theatre. Its hummable tunes pair well with its folksy tale blending comedy, ghosts, witches, and a bit of supernatural justice. The talented ensembles drives the piece despite a few challenges in the plot and physical space, and it’s a welcomed entry into this year’s festival. Audiences looking for a fun original musical need look no further. 

BELL WRINGER is directed by Kevin Place. It was written by Seth Alcorn and Karen Lange with original music and lyrics also by Karen Lange. Various additional artists provide traditional folk and bluegrass songs to round out the score. Other members of the creative team include Paige Austin Rammelkamp (Music Director), Ashlynne Ludwig (Costume Design), Danny Debner (Lighting Design), Tristan Willis (Graphic Design), and Mara Sherman (Assistant Producer).

The show is produced by Pinky Swear Productions. From its website, Pinky Swear Productions “is a feminist theater company that tells inclusive and subversive stories.” The company focuses on producing work “with magic, music, and fun that sparks conversation and creates a memorable experience” while celebrating the diverse experiences of women. Pinky Swear is no stranger to the Capital Fringe having produced another bluegrass show, OVER HER DEAD BODY, in 2016. The show earned the company audience choice awards for Best Musical and Best Overall Show.

You have three more chances to catch Bell Wringer from July 21-23. Interested audiences should check the Capital Fringe website linked below for show times and tickets. 

Graphic design above is by Tristan Willis.  

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