The play "Blithe Spirit" haunts Mago Hunt with a spirit, a medium and a stuffy British couple
By Clare Shreve
The advertising posters, featuring what looks like a makeshift menorah on a blue background with white lettering, make "Blithe Spirit" out to be a comedy that could take place during the Seder at Passover. The play, in reality, turns out to be a bleak representation of an overly stuffy British household in the 1940s.
The plot is rather comical in and of itself, complete with eccentric characters, twists in the plot, and supernatural events. The play centers around Charles Condomine, played by sophomore Connor Bond, and his second wife Ruth Condomine, played by junior Becky Downs. The couple decides to have Madame Arcati (junior Stephanie Bayne), an eccentric medium, over to the house along with another couple they know, Dr. and Mrs. Bradman in order for Mr. Condomine to do research for his next mystery novel.
However, during the séance, Mr. Condomine's first wife is brought back as a ghost. Unfortunately, only he can see her. Meanwhile Ruth, his current wife, who Charles affectionately described as "not the dying sort," struggles with the idea of having another woman in the house, let alone one she cannot. Conflict ensues when accusations of insanity and jealousy are thrown about.
Madame Arcati brought life into each scene she was in, allowing for the uptight Condomine couple to have something to snigger at respectfully. With her loud voice and even louder attire, Madame Arcati was able to bring some lightness to the scenes that, at times, seemed to be bogged down by the British upper-class quips.
Director Andrew Golla pointed out the verbal quickness that is necessary for this play to function as it should, and this is all up to the actors.
"It's a challenge to respond quickly, to have energy to think fast, because there is no room for (the actors) to think. It takes energy and focus to pull this off," Golla said.
The idea of British politeness with undertones of honest yet cruel sentiments was not lost in this production. The humor, however, seemed not too present.
Written by Noel Coward in five or six days, depending upon the source, this troupe of UP theater students and faculty have spent the last 4 1/2 weeks rehearsing "Blithe Spirit," which Golla said is less than half the time professionals are allotted for rehearsal.
With that in mind, the amount of hard work and tenacity that it takes to put on a production with that sort of deadline is commendable. However, spending 2 1/2 hours with Charles Condomine and the two Mrs. Condomines, Elvira and Ruth, was not the night at the theater that one might expect. Perhaps in 1940s England this play was hysterical and considered a good time, but the production for a 21st century audience is a little harder to swallow.
"It's a comedy in three acts, which was OK for its time, but for modern audiences it doesn't always work," said Anthony Rico Nan, who is working toward his masters in directing at UP.
Golla was looking for some comedy to start the year, something more crowd-friendly. The humor seemed lost in this production however, with only the ungainly and anxious maid to break up the tedious and pseudo-sophisticated conversations between Mr. and Mrs. Condomine and their friends.
"These are the kind of people who dress up for dinner in their home. They're a different kind of people than you and I," Golla said, describing the Condomines.
Perhaps the "you and I" he is referring to are too different and the wit gets lost in translation.
The show opened Wednesday and will run through Sunday, showing each night at 7:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. Students are admitted free Wednesday and Thursday. For more information call the Performing and Fine Arts office at 943-7228.
