The Kiona-Benton High School drama department will do a bit of creepy acting Oct. 28-29 when its production of Woman in Black continues at the high school in Benton City.

Students Zach Kiffiak and Deven Austin, both 17, are co-directing the play.

The story is about Arthur Kipps, who is a man on a business trip to close the account of a deceased client who lived in the English countryside.

During the process of going through the client's things and talking with the townspeople, Kipps begins to hear ghostly noises. The haunted house eventually drives him out and he returns to London, where tragedy strikes.

"As a drama company, I wanted to continue in our tradition of doing something that we have never done before," said Robert Hanson, the school's drama teacher. "Working with my student directors, we decided to attempt the challenge of horror."

Hanson said that besides the timely Halloween angle to the story, the film version of Woman in Black is scheduled to be released in 2012. It stars Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe.

"I hope to build a strong tradition at Ki-Be, where a student or students take the reigns of a show and sit in the director chair each year," Hanson said.

Kiffiak said directing is much harder than he thought.

"Things are different because you see more of what goes on behind the scenes," Kiffiak said. "And your choices have a bigger effect on what is happening in the show."

Austin agrees. "Being a director has put in perspective how difficult it is to put a show together," he said. "Assuming more responsibilities was a nice chance of pace from simply acting. I enjoyed the experience."

Showtime is 7 p.m. Tickets are $7 at the door. The school is at 1107 Grace St.

The rest of the school's theater season will include Seven Brides for Seven Brothers on Feb. 24-25 and March 2-3. Then in April, it will be Taming of the Shrew.

*Dori O'Neal: 582-1514; doneal@tricityherald.com