Blithe Spirit to Open at Main Street
Theater, Tonight, For 2 Week Run

 

by: Bobby McDonald

 

 

It's Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit that the local Community Players have chosen for their spring production, opening Thursday night, May 20th, at 7:30 p.m., for a six performance run at Main Street Theater. The production has been delayed a week, following one of the main actresses becoming ill. However, "the show must go on" and an understudy has taken on the role and does a remarkable job.

 

 

 

Blithe Spirit is a comic play written by Noel Coward which takes its title from Percy Shelley's poem "To A Skylark" ("Hail to thee, blithe Spirit! / Bird thou never wert"). The play concerns socialite and novelist Charles Condomine, who invites the eccentric and clairvoyant, Madame Arcati to his house to conduct a seance, hoping to gather material for his next book. The scheme backfires when he is haunted by the ghost of his annoying and temperamental first wife, Elvira, following the séance. Elvira makes continual attempts to disrupt Charles's marriage to his second wife, Ruth, who cannot see or hear the ghost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The play was first seen on the West End in London in 1941 and set a new long-run record for non-musical British plays of 1,997 performances. It also did well on Broadway later that year, running for 657 performances.

 

 

 

 

The local production, directed by David Woody, features Frances Weise as Edith; Heather Fitch as Ruth Condomine; Curtis Dorsey as Charles Condomine; Rick Moser as Dr. George Bradman; Wilma Thompson as Violet Bradman, Betty Green as Madame Arcati; and Tammy Vinson in the role of former wife, Elvira Condomine.

 

 

 

 

 

You're sure to be inspired by the trip into the occult world, as the lights are dimmed and the seance begins, led by Green as Madame Arcati. Get ready for a "barrel" of laughs as the two "feuding" wives make Charles Condomine's life absolutely miserable.  Imagine trying to please two women who are constantly competing for affection and attention, in the same household....that's Charles' predicament, as he attempts to balance his life in the abnormal household, Madame Arcati has created for him.

 

 

 

Mark your calendar to attend one of these delightful performances as you support local theater.

 

 

 

 

 

Other crew members include: Assistant Director, John D'Avignon; Lights and Sound, Jeff Davis; Stage Manager, Heather Fitch; Sound Effects, Joe McCorkle; Set Design, David Woody; Set Construction, John D'Avignon, and other cast and crew members; Lighting Design, David Woody;  and Posters and Programs, Mike Dodd.

 

 

 

 

The cast and crew is wishing Mindi Mikula a complete recovery from her illness, as she had worked so hard in preparing for the original role of Ruth Condomine.

 

 

 

 

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