Oglebay Institute’s Towngate Theater welcomes in their main stage season for 2026 with the tantalizingly mysterious and surreal Dark of the Moon, a cautionary tale of romance, intrigue, and spiritualism. Based on the folk song “The Ballad of Barbara Allen” and adapted by Howard Richardson in 1942 for the stage, Dark of the Moon explores themes of humanity, mortality, and the dangers of superstition.
In this gothic tale based in the Smoky Mountains of Appalachia, witch boy John falls in love with the beautiful and enchanting human Barbara Allen. Their whirlwind romance leads to John pleading with the magical Conjur Woman to become human too. In order to remain human, he must make certain that Barbara do one thing: be true to him for just one year. This proves difficult, however; spurned lovers, the prejudice of locals, religious zealotry, and John’s own fear of humanity stand in the way. The story begins to twist and turn in time with the leaves dotting the mountain trees.
In today’s hustle and bustle world, I asked director Dave Henderson why he thinks people should take the time to come see the show out of anywhere else they could be. “The show has a very talented cast,” he stated. “It’s a very thought-provoking show about judgement. I think people will have a really good time.”
I asked Dave why he chose Dark of the Moon as his artistic muse out of all the shows he could’ve picked from to open this season at Towngate. “I’ve done it several times in the past. It’s always a big hit with the audience and the cast,” he said. “It really fit the bill for this year.”
When telling such an iconic folk story dripping with so many intertwined themes and messages, I asked Henderson what he hopes the audience’s main takeaways from seeing the show will be. He noted how important it is to stray away from black and white thinking. “I hope people can take this and learn not to judge others.”
The cast includes Timothy French (John), Makayla Carney (Barbara Allen), Frank Wilson (Preacher Haggler), Tim Thompson (Conjur Man), Rachael Thompson (Conjur Woman), Flannery Muscar & Chloe Patt (The Witches), Brian Jeffries (Mr. Allen), Angela Hawk (Mrs. Allen), David Gaudio (Floyd Allen), Bob Gaudio (Uncle Smelicue), Gretta Foose (Mrs. Summey), Joel Nau (Hank Gudger), Isabella Street (Miss Metcalf), Wayne McCord (Mr. Bergan), Brendan Sheehan (Mr. Atkins), Alex Danehart (Burt Dinwitty), and Lokelani Weese (Edna Summey).
Curtain times for Towngate Theater’s run of Dark of the Moon include 8pm for September 11, 12, 18 and 19, and 3pm for September 13. Tickets can be purchased online at www.oionline.com, or by calling the theater box office at 304-242-7700. If available, tickets can also be purchased at the door prior to the show.
