GHOST OF A CHANCE, Hale Center Theater Orem, through Feb. 5 (226-8600). Running time: two hours, 10 minutes (one intermission).
OREM — "Ghost of a Chance" is an interesting, slightly uneven mix of comedy and pathos.
Perhaps because it was written by two people (Flip Kobler and his wife, Cindy Marcus), this play is two-headed and sometimes doesn't know what it is: A simple comedy about lost loves hanging around or a story about redemption and learning to take risks.
The central character is Chance, a deceased, macho outdoorsman who is reluctant to leave the remote cabin where he died three years earlier. He can be seen only by Bethany, his widow who is set to remarry.
The play is witty and clever. There are lines that cut right through the nonsense, especially those delivered by Verna, Bethany's future mother-in-law, played by Claudine Booth (who alternates with Maureen Eastwood).
There is a great deal of fun, including scenes reminiscent of Abbott and Costello's classic "Who's On First" routine, and scenes of total confusion, with everybody answering for everyone else.
The shallow and overbearing Chance, played by Mitch Hall, has a number of things to say about Bethany's fiance and her intention to sell the family cabin that are simply crack-ups.
So does Adam Lucas, played by Lon Keith, the accountant who intends to buy the cabin because he knows its secret.
"Did I come at a bad time?" he asks after he realizes everyone in the house is rattled by the ghost. "Pretty crowded for a three bedroom," he then mutters.
The cast, directed by Eldon Randall, is made up of talented people, with Page Petrucka standing out as the no-nonsense, droll psychic Crystal.
Verna, the potential mother-in-law, never stops with her cryptic remarks about Bethany, even though she's a bit odd herself, particularly about her own dead husband.
This show takes unpredictable turns, and it's quite well done. Its only fault lies with the preachy talk that punctuates the comedy.
Bethany, played by Jolene Sayers, is understandably confused about her love choices, especially since her dead husband still seems to be calling the shots. She's dealing with grief and struggling to make her own way, while her fiance, played by Ryan Rodebaugh, is figuring out whether he wants to simply be "sturdy."
But she's so back-and-forth that it's hard to invest in her decisions.
Throw in the psychic's health crisis, sad love life, plus a tussle over a lot of cash, and you have quite a bit to chew on.
This is a story that could do without one or two or three of the complications.
It could also use more focus, but overall it's worth a look.
E-mail: haddoc@desnews.com