PENDLETON — Capturing the stiff style and language of the ’50s is essential for an authentic depiction on the era. This can prove difficult when working with teenage actors, who are generally unfamiliar with the decade. It’s not like the ’70s, when “Happy Days” reintroduced poodle skirts and Fats Domino into pop culture.

As rehearsals began for the Clemson Little Theatre production of “Bell, Book and Candle,” Paul Schleifer pulled double duty. In addition, to directing the show, Schleifer served as a time traveling tour guide.

“Three of our actors are a little bit younger,” Schleifer said. “They had no idea about the ’50s — what was in fashion and how people acted. There’s a line about the Kinsey Report and they didn’t know why the line was funny. That’s the kind of challenge I like to have.”

According to Schleifer, preparing for “Bell, Book and Candle” has been a snap. He attributed the ease to a tireless crew and malleable cast. When the show lost its producer due to a family illness, the rest of the ensemble took up the slack.

Written by John Van Druten, “Bell, Book and Candle” is the story of Gillian Holroyd, a sexy metropolitan witch. Gillian casts a love spell over publisher Shepherd Henderson, who lives in her building.

Madeleine O’Hara handles the Gillian role. A recent Daniel High School grad, O’Hara brought particular zeal to the role. Since Sunday, she’s been coming in for makeup at 5:30 p.m. Rehearsals don’t start until 8 p.m.

“(O’Hara) has a real willingness to learn and try things out,” Schleifer said. “We spent a lot of time talking about her character: how a woman in the ’50s walked and held herself. She’s really given herself over to the role and I think that will really show up on Friday.”

Playing Gillian isn’t an easy task. Although she’s the romantic lead, some of Gillian’s traits aren’t so sweet. For example, Gillian casts her spell on Henderson partly because he’s about to wed her college rival. Although O’Hara doesn’t ignore the character’s dark side, she’s still able to win over the audience.

For his portrayal of Henderson, actor Matt Jordan utilized a strong voice and presence.

Said Schleifer: “He’s one of those guys that will be able to play that ‘every man’ character. Henderson is an average guy who gets sucked into a situation for which he’s totally unprepared. He doesn’t want to believe he’s lost control so completely, but there it is, starring him in the face.”

Gillian isn’t the only witch in Henderson’s life. Writer/warlock Sidney Redlitch is pushing the publisher to buy his manuscript on modern witchcraft. According to Schleifer, Stuart Adamo was quite willing to deliver the outrageous performance necessary to render Redlitch. The role is more functional than deep, providing Adamo ample opportunities to eat the scenery.

Of course, what’s romantic comedy without a kooky aunt? With Aunt Quennie, played by Jill Spires, “Bell, Book and Candle” is not wanting in that department. Spires delivers the over-the-top pop needed to carry the character.

“Quennie is supposed to be a fun character,” Schleifer said. “She the one character in the show the audience will most genuinely like non-stop. She’s the crazy, eccentric aunt you wish you had.”

Like Quennie, Gillian’s brother, Nicky Holroyd (Michael Wooten), is also a practitioner of black magic. However, he uses his powers for jejune matters — changing stoplights, picking up chicks. Wooten’s natural sense of humor helps him sell the part.

“Nicky could be done pretty dark, but it would take the show in a direction I don’t think it needs to go in,” said Schleifer.

Van Druten first wrote “Bell, Book and Candle” as a drama. However when preview audiences cackled at the show, the playwright revised it as a comedy. According to Schleifer, the CLT incarnation of “Bell, Book and Candle” doesn’t resort to caricatures to get its jokes across.

“This is a comedy, not a farce,” Schleifer said. “The humor comes out of situations and occasionally the lines. A farce is Jim Carey, the Three Stooges or Groucho Marx. We went for realism, the kind of realism one expects in a romantic comedy rather than ‘Rosemary’s Baby.’”

An English professor at Southern Wesleyan University, Schleifer has been directing for 11 years. His past productions include “Dracula,” Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” and Neil Simon’s “Come Blow Your Horn.” He prefers to establish a general vibe for his shows and let the lighting, set and makeup designers do their thing. Likewise, after an initial discussion of character, actors are given leeway to color the roles as they please.

“I see my role as the director as the person who is responsible for making the whole thing blend into one, like the coach on a soccer team,” Schleifer said. “My job is not to put my stamp on a production, it’s to create an environment where the actors can bring the script to life for the audience. It’s not like Hollywood where the director is more important than anybody else a lot of the time. (Quentin) Tarantino certainly has ways of putting his stamp on a film. You shouldn’t be able to say, ‘Yeah, that’s a Schleifer show.’”

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“Bell, Book and Candle”

July 27-29, Aug. 3-5

Clemson Little Theatre

Pendleton

8 p.m. (Sundays at 3 p.m.)

$12 adults, $5 students

(864) 646-8100

www.clemsonlittletheatre.com