CEDAR CITY — Blithe Spirit directed by Richard Bugg is currently playing at the Heritage Center Theater produced by American Crossroads Theatre. The play is a comedy written by Noel Coward in 1941 and focuses mainly on author Charles Condomine. He invites the eccentric, medium Madame Arcati to his house to conduct a séance, hoping to gather material for his next book. It all hilariously backfires when he is haunted instead by the ghost of his force-of-nature first wife Elvira after the séance. Elvira continuously tries to disrupt Charles’s second marriage to Ruth who cannot see or hear Elvira’s ghost. It all comes together into a beautifully chaotic spectral comedy, perfect for the Halloween season.
Editor’s Note: Production Photos have not yet been received by UTAJ. When they are, they will be added to this review. Photos can be provided through this form.
The biggest eye-catching element of this play was the fun and beautifully laid out set. Tyson Chanticleer brought this lively setting to life as main set designer and carpenter. Chanticleer overcame the challenge of using all of the large Heritage Center stage without leaving large, awkward gaps. Half of the stage contained the Condomines’ main living room complete with Victorian furniture, grandfather clock, piano, and portraits of both of Mr. Condomine’s wives. The layout of the staggered wall that held the portraits was especially inventive because it allowed the illusion of the ghost moving between walls throughout the play. The other half of the stage was the Condomines’ outside garden sitting area. This was completed with dramatic double porch doors, elegantly lighted columns and greenery scattered throughout the set.
No set can be complete without its partner: a good lighting and sound design. Thankfully this was more than accomplished by Dylan Frank. His experimentation with new lighting and sound techniques heightened the suspense and mystery of this wonderfully spooky show! During the scene with the rainstorm, Frank used the thunderstorm sounds gently at first and then let them gain volume as the scene intensified. I kept thinking that there was a real thunderstorm happening right outside the theater.
However, I feel there could have been a clearer differentiation in the use of fog to signal when a Spector was appearing or if hinting that a huge rain storm was brewing. This would have been appreciated for clarifying what was happening. This is a minor issue in the overall production which was highly engaging. The use of clear wires to make objects appear to float when the ghosts were expressing frustration is delightful especially as I love old-timey spooky theater effects!
Tyson Chanticleer also played the leading man Charles Condomine. He and Amber Turner, playing Charles’ second wife Ruth, delivered some hilariously misunderstood banter when Mr. Condomine tried explaining to Ruth that he could see and hear the ghost of his first wife. Rachel Cox played the dramatic Elvira delightfully. Her facial expressions and physical antics were especially hilarious as Ruth got more and more frustrated with Charles.
Speaking of the Spector Elvira, costume designer Ester Bergman created an excellent look. Elvira’s spectral dress was perfectly and spookily ethereal. The use of flowy blue and white fabrics conveyed Elvira’s ghostly beauty magnificently!
There were some first show jitters that showed a tiny bit through the dialogue but it was all very quickly recovered. However, I feel that some of the dialogue dragged a bit because the audience was missing some context clues from the actors about what exactly was happening. This is an extra challenge when performing an play written in an older era. Since the dialogue is dated from modern speech, understanding it relies heavily on the actors to provide additional context through facial and physical acting. Barb Christensen, who played the magnificent Madame Arcati, blending these acting elements beautifully. Even though her dialogue was the same as the other actors, her use of facial expressions, physical body movements, and different tones and pitch of her voice ensured the audience was never lost to follow Madame Arcati’s meaning.
Bryn Kint Jordan, who played the maid Edith, was especially hilarious in her physical comedy. This was very true in her exaggerated, slowed-down movements whenever Charles or Ruth told her to steadily slow down. Nancy Wolfgang, who played the Condomine’s friend Mrs. Bradman, and Brad Christensen, who played her husband Doctor Bradman, added even more delightful flavor to the cast. Wolfgang was joined by her own French bulldog playing the role of Mrs. Bradman’s pet dog — an extra special, adorable treat!
Overall, Blithe Spirit is a production you will want to see this Halloween season. The show is great for those wanting a fun family or friend outing this weekend. Especially for those who love old, timey, spooky comedic films.
MORE INFO: Blithe Spirit is currently playing at the Heritage Center Theater (105 N. 100 E. Cedar City, Utah 84720). Performances are held October 14-16 at 7:00 pm each evening. Tickets can be purchased online at axrtheater.org.
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and TIKTOK!
If you’re a director, producer or marketing contact who would like to have us review your show, please fill out this form.
If you have comments about this article, please fill out this form.