After delay, VHS thespians set to deliver chills and thrills

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, June 1, 2022

“A Spirited Manor,” a modern Victorian-style horror play by Seattle author Kate Danley, will be presented by students in Vashon High School’s (VHS) theater department, at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 3 and 4, and 1 p.m. Sunday, June 5, at VHS.

Previously announced additional performance dates, of Friday and Saturday, May 27, 28, and 29, were canceled after the May 26 issue of The Beachcomber went to press.

VHS theater teacher and director Andy James said that the earlier performances were canceled due to COVID and other illnesses in the cast and crew during the show’s six-week rehearsal project, but that the show will be ready to go this weekend.

He promised a fantastic production, praising his students for their stellar work not only onstage but also backstage, creating compelling lighting, costumes and other production elements. However, he added that the play was not suitable for younger audiences, because of some dark themes.

The play’s plot follows a young widow who has to pick up the pieces of her life, even as those pieces grow sharper and more confusing. Haunted by the spirit of a young girl, she reluctantly goes to a seance in search of answers.

“Given [that] description, you may be a bit relieved to know how little blood and agony there really is in ‘A Spirited Manor,’” said James. “It’s a romp with chills in it, in the manner of the Victorian penny dreadfuls — cheaply published horror stories— that author Kate Danley used as a model.”

James said the play choice was encouraged by his students.

“Many of them loved the idea of staging something scary, and I say, let’s follow their intuition where it may lead us,” he said.

Tickets for the show, $10, can be purchased at the door. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Audience members are asked to wear masks.