To some devout Christians, witches aren't just innocent Halloween scares: they're eternally damned brides of Hell. It may seem nutty to hear folks railing against Harry Potter, but in pre-scientific America, supposed Devil worshipers served as convenient scapegoats for any misunderstood mishap. Ostensibly rational Americans were once terrified of witches and warlocks.

Of course, none of that dread was reserved for the 1960s show Bewitched, a sitcom clearly based on the 1950 John Van Druten play Bell, Book and Candle. If you're my age or older, you grew up with Bewitched or its reruns; the show is memorable for plenty of reasons, including star Elizabeth Montgomery's adorable nose twitch, Samantha Stephens' bizarre relatives, and that unexplained Darrin swap in season six. But when you place Bell, Book and Candle in chronological context, it's remarkable how intense it truly was-much darker, to be sure, than the sitcom it inspired 14 years later.

To read Christian Carvajal's full review, click here.

[Olympia Little Theatre, Bell, Book and Candle, through Oct. 9, 7:55 p.m. Thurs-Sat, 1:55 p.m. Sun, $10-$14, 1925 Miller Ave. NE, Olympia, 360.786.9484]