Getting Into the SPIRIT of Tennessee's Bell Witch Legend

There's a definite feeling of autumn in the air in Middle Tennessee - despite this week's warmer temperatures and plenty of sunshine - and as the calendar moves forward toward Halloween and the time of ghost stories and other sinister tales comes the opening of playwright David Alford's SPIRIT: The Authentic Bell Witch Experience, the final event of this year's Bell Witch Fall Festival in his hometown of Adams, Tennessee.

If you believe in the Bell Witch, you're not alone: for almost 200 years, the elusive Spirit has had a hold on the minds and memories of Middle Tennesseans. If you're a skeptic who feels that "seeing is believing," you're in luck.

Community Spirit, Inc. and the City of Adams host the 13th season presentation of Alford's play, directed for the second year by critically acclaimed Nashville director/actor Derek Whittaker (most recently onstage in Studio Tenn's Gypsy). This year's production of SPIRIT opens Thursday, October 22, continuing through Halloween night, October 31, at the Bell School Community Complex's Brooksher Outdoor Pavilion, just off Highway 41N in Adams. Curtain is at 7 p.m. each evening. SPIRIT is produced by Anna Filippo.

Based upon Richard Williams Bell's memoir Our Family Trouble, SPIRIT explores the infamous haunting of the Bell Family which is said to have occurred in Robertson County in the early 19th century.

"I have been fascinated by this story since I was a child," says Alford, an Adams native well-known for his portrayal of Rayna James' manager, Bucky Dawes, on ABC's hit show, Nashville. "I learned 'the witch' was actually scarier than my childhood image: an invisible entity whose motives were unknown, and whose actions caused injury and death."

Whittaker, who acted in the 2013 production, says he is thankful for another opportunity as director to shed new light on this beloved local legend: "The legend of the Bell Witch is one of our nation's greatest ghost stories. We have such a wonderful and unique opportunity to explore her legacy on the actual ground where these events are said to have taken place. Even if you remember this story from childhood or you've seen the show in years past, I promise you've never seen it like this! It is such a tremendous celebration of the season, of community, of live theatre and the art of storytelling, as well as the history and the mystery of this time-honored tale."

Each night, the female members of the talented and diverse ensemble will bring the Bell Witch to life onstage, right before your very eyes. This ensemble of professional performers includes local legacy Lauren Braddock Havey, actress, singer, songwriter and daughter of country music songwriting legend Bobby Braddock (writer of "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and "He Stopped Loving Her Today," among his credits).

About the 2015 cast: "My approach to the material is that of theatrical storytelling with all company members coming together to share this compelling tale," says director Derek Whittaker. "But using our talented and diverse group of women as a SPIRIT ensemble: eight women who function as one to give shape and voice to the Spirit. In the entire production history of the show, the voice of the Spirit was provided by a recording of the brilliantly talented Jenny Littleton. Last year and this year even more so, I use all eight women as a Greek Chorus of sorts, to help connect with the audience, make the story more immediate and live and theatrical. Although the characters onstage may not see Kate, our audiences will see the Spirit onstage live nightly!"

Among the castmembers of the 2015 production: Lauren Braddock Harvey, Jamila Hunter, Meghan Judd, Jenny Norris Light, Julia Nolan, Joy Tilley Perryman, Elena Spradlin, Elizabeth Walsh, Jarvis Bynum, Benjamin Jones, Jackson Nolan, Danny Nolan, Alex Maynard, Paul O'Connor, Scotty Phillips, Jake Rullman, Brett Runge, Evan Taylor Williams and Francis A. Wolff.

About the director: Originally from Nashville, Derek Whittaker has spent more than 25 years as an actor, director and playwright. He holds his Bachelor of Science Degree in Theatre from Middle Tennessee State University (to which he has recently returned as an adjunct faculty member) and his Master of Fine Arts Degree in Acting from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where he received the prestigious Clarence Brown Career Development Award. His work as both actor and director has garnered him much praise and numerous "Toast of Music City" Awards, First Night Awards and Knoxville Area Theatre Coalition Awards. As an actor, Derek has performed with the East Tennessee Shakespeare Festival and Tennessee Stage Company; Indiana's Derby Dinner Playhouse; Florida's Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre; Kansas' Crown Uptown Dinner Theatre; and in a wide variety of venues along the East Coast on tour with Virginia's Theatre IV. Additionally, he has performed, written and directed for the Bijou Theatre Center; Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse in Illinois; and Fort Salem Theatre in New York. He also directed his original murder mystery Beach Blanket Backstabbing, which was performed extensively at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville. Closer to home, he has performed at Nashville Children's Theatre (where he has also worked as a Teaching Artist); Studio Tenn in nearby Franklin; Nashville Repertory Theatre (where he will be seen as Ralphie in their upcoming A Christmas Story); and Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre (where he has been seen in more than 40 productions throughout the years). His association with SPIRIT began in 2013 with his performance as Elder Sugg Fort, under the direction of longtime friend Peter Vann.

About the production: Community Spirit, Inc. and the City of Adams host the 13th season presentation of Alford's play, directed for the second year by critically acclaimed Nashville director/actor Derek Whittaker (most recently onstage in Studio Tenn's Gypsy). This year's production of SPIRIT opens Thursday, October 22, continuing through Halloween night, October 31, at the Bell School Community Complex's Brooksher Outdoor Pavilion, just off Highway 41N in Adams. Curtain is at 7 p.m. each evening. SPIRIT is produced by Anna Filippo. The 4th Annual Bell Witch Fall Festival is sponsored by F&M Bank, the Tennessee Arts Commission and The Memorial Foundation. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 students, and Thursdays are $8 student night. For more information or to reserve tickets, visit: www.bellwitchfallfestival.com

Photos by LOGEN CHRISTOPHER / KNIGHT ST. MEDIA

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