On April 29, 30 and May 1, The F/X Players will present Noel Coward's comedy, "Blithe Spirit." In his play, Noel Coward blends slapstick comedy and dry wit to create a humorous setting in the Condomine household.
Noel Coward wrote the play during a stay at Portmeirion in 1941. Coward felt the public would want something amusing during the dark days of the war, when Russia and the USA had yet to join forces with the Allies. Coward completed the play in seven days. When it opened in London only two months after his visit to Portmeirion, Coward's idea about public taste was right, and the play smashed box office records, running to 1,997 performances and remaining the longest-running comedy in the history of British theatre for three decades.
"Blithe Spirit" is the story of Charles Condomine, a remarried widowed writer, who decides to host a séance as research for a novel he is planning to write about a homicidal fake psychic. Charles and his second wife Ruth invite Dr. and Mrs. Bradman to join in on the fun. Charles implores for Madam Arcati to be the medium for the séance. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Arcati is a fake, and will be the main example for Charles' book, "The Unseen." However to Charles' surprise, Madam Arcati is not a fake, and there are supernatural manifestations. The séance conjures up Elvira, Charles' first wife, in ghost form. Then things take a decided turn for the worse.
THE CAST AND CREW are equally excited about performing "Blithe Spirit." Justin Vitalis who plays Charles says, "I am overjoyed to be cast in this production, I know it's going to be amazing. The special effects are going to be jaw dropping, and the show itself is very funny."
Assistant stage manager Beth Goodell adds, "The cast is doing a fine job with this show. They have been working diligently for the past two months to fine-tune the show. It will be one of the best Fairfax has put on."
The technical aspects of the show are promised to be interesting. "All the techs are enthusiastic about doing this show. It's a great way to show off our individual talents," says sophomore Kat Ray, one of the technical directors. A trademark of Fairfax Theatre is that most of the technical parts are student done.
Grace Weik a junior, said, "Mr. Smith allows us as students to have the experience to do most of the work. We build the set ourselves, do our own lighting, and build our own costumes. It helps us, who are considering pursuing theatre, to really get the knowledge we need."
"BLITHE SPIRIT" is considered to be a show that has numerous amounts of special effects. For example in the third act, the invisible spirits attack the Condomine household destroying everything in sight. Sophomore Grace Royer is in charge of special effects and promises "the effects will be a treat for the audience."
Noel Coward's comedy "Blithe Spirit" promises entertainment for all who see it, on both the acting and technical levels. The F/x Players will be performing "Blithe Spirit" on April 29, 30, and May 1 at 7:30 p.m., and at 2 p.m. on May 1.