One of the more familiar faces on the Ottawa stage is spending his summer in Perth playing a warlock in the Classic Theatre Festival’s production of “Bell, Book and Candle,” now running until July 31 at the Mason Theatre in Perth.

While such a role might seem a tad different for most performers, it’s right up Zachary Counsil’s alley, especially given his penchant for special effects, magic tricks, and general mischief. Someone whose talents as a performer, director, choreographer, and theatre technician keep him busy to the point of double booking, Counsil comes by his craft honestly, the son of an early founder and current producer of the perennial favourite, Eddie May Mysteries.

“I grew up with it, and although my parents did everything they could to ensure I went into medicine or law, sometimes you’re just born with something, that internal drive, and with a backstage childhood, there was no turning back,” Counsil says.

A veteran of working the Eddie May circuit as well as Algonquin College training – an interesting experience given he already knew most of the teachers from growing up in the theatre community – Counsil exhibits an infectious passions for all things thespian.

A Young Face

His biggest challenge, he jokes, is having a young face, something which he feared might condemn him to playing the role of Oliver for the next 40 years. To compensate for that unlikely scenario, Counsil embraced the technical side of theatre to keep his hand in the community.

“I was raised with the concept that ‘no’ is never a good answer, so if someone is looking for a sound designer, I will go for it, work hard, and learn that part of the craft,” he says, reflecting a common theme that runs through the multi-talented cast of “Bell, Book and Candle,” many of whom are writers, directors, performers, and technicians as well.

“Knowing all these different parts of the business strengthens each individual part. Being an actor helps me direct, because I have a better sense of what actors need, and knowing the technical side of things makes directing that much easier.”

Counsil’s longstanding passion behind the scenes is the design and creation of special effects for the stage. “I got my start in blood and gore, which a lot of people don’t have the stomach for, and I‘m just naturally drawn to spraying blood and blowing stuff up as part of the show,” his grins mischievously. Those skills are in high demand in Ottawa, and as someone with 2 years of experience as a makeup consultant at theatre store Malabar, he also became familiar with the locations of a wealth of props which no one else can find.

Special Effects WIzard

“I deal in a lot of bizarre stuff, from odd costumes and severed heads to what we call high velocity blood delivery systems,” he says, noting his talents came in handy for “Evil Dead: The Musical” when it recently came to Ottawa. Counsil also choreographs fight scenes, designs lighting plots, and stage manages.

“I was always taught that the best actors aren’t always on stage: it takes a village to put on a show, and everyone’s talents are needed.”

The day after “Bell, Book and Candle” closes, Counsil flies to Saskatoon to perform one of Canadian playwright Daniel MacIvor’s early works, Wild Abandon, a one-man show that’s garnered him 5-star reviews wherever it plays.

Counsil recently finished performing a 4-hour commedia dell-arte piece with Odyssey Theatre at the Ottawa Public Library, an interactive two-character piece that was exhausting for the performers but engaging for surprised library patrons who would see characters pop out from behind book shelves. He’s also recently been seen in “The Pillow Man” and “The Lieutenant of Inishmore.”

Familiar Ottawa Face

Always in demand, Counsil has worked with most Ottawa companies including Third Wall, the Crystal Basement Improv troupe, the Gladstone Theatre, and 7:30 Productions, among many others.

For now, though, Counsil is performing the role of Nikky Holroyd, the brother of Gillian, a lonely witch whose romantic yearning forms the centerpiece of “Bell, Book and Candle” (and whose plot become the basis for the television series “Bewitched.”

“It’s a real pleasure to do shows from this era of Broadway, especially since a lot of the stuff I do is either really old or very current,” he says. “I’m really enjoying it.”

Bell, Book and Candle runs Wed.-Sat. at 8 pm, with 2 pm matinees Wed., Sat. & Sun. This bewitching romantic comedy is followed by the Tony-Award-winning The Fourposter, a comedic chronicle of marriage running August 5-28 at the wheelchair accessible, air conditioned Mason Theatre, 13 Victoria St., in Perth.

Tickets are available at www.classictheatre.ca or by calling 1-877-283-1283.

This event has been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Corporation.