PENDLETON — It’s only a ghost story set in an isolated English manor house. There’s nothing scary about that, right?

Audiences looking for a dash of the dark and scary this October can attend a College Community Theatre production of “The Turn of the Screw,” a play based on the 1898 gothic horror novella by Henry James.

The production opens Friday, Oct. 18, in the Bob Clapp Theatre at Blue Mountain Community College. Shows run Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m., through Oct. 27.

In addition, “The Turn of the Screw” will also feature a new twist for CCT: An 11 p.m. showing on Saturday, Oct. 26.

Tickets are $20 and available at collegecommunitytheatre.com/box-office.

In the novella, a group of people are telling ghost stories around the fire, including the one that forms the basis for “The Turn of the Screw.” The story is full of classic elements of a Victorian ghost story: an isolated estate in the English countryside, two orphans and the governess sent to watch them after a series of mysterious deaths.

Director Jon Kretzu said the story is one of the first great psychological horror tales, and he has wanted to present this play for a long time.

“It’s always been one of my favorite novels. I’m a huge horror fan, and I like this adaptation,” Kretzu said. “It’ll be a really unique experience for people. Not what they’re used to.”

Although the story of “The Turn of the Screw” has been adapted many times — most recently as the Netflix series, “The Haunting of Bly Manor” in 2020 — this theatrical production will surprise audiences.

“What’s great about this adaptation is that it’s really unusual,” Kretzu said. “It only uses two actors and one of them plays a lot of roles, both female and male, both adult and child, and that’s very theatrical, very unusual. Also, this version honors many things of the original novel that many of the other (adaptations) don’t.”

At the core of Kretzu’s direction is helping the actors connect with their characters.

“The best horror always has an emotional impact,” he said. “You have to care about the people. If you don’t care about the people, it’s not scary.”

This two-person adaptation features a pair of veteran CCT actors, Carly Elder and Chris Dennett.

“I play the Governess, who isn’t given a name. At the beginning of the story, she accepts a new job caring for two young children. She is full of energy and imagination, but she’s also led a very sheltered life and can be naïve,” Elder said. “Rehearsing this play has been a totally unique experience. Jon’s process is intimate, collaborative, and detail-oriented.”

Dennett plays multiple roles in “The Turn of the Screw” and said it is like nothing he has performed in before.

“There are so many unique elements in this show, I’d be surprised if anyone had already experienced them all. I feel like every spectator is almost certain to see something they haven’t seen before,” he said. “The show is deliberately dark, quiet and tense. I don’t think I’ve ever been in another show where I’ve been directed to lower my volume as much as I have in this one.”

Although the show is filled with psychological horror elements, there is no blood, no gore, and no jump scares — but those buying tickets should still be prepared to have their hearts stop.

“People should come see this show because it will get under their skin as well as make them think and ask deep questions. It is truly frightening,” Elder said.