‘Blithe Spirit’ plays with the idea of afterlife through comedy
Sally Wingert summons perfect farce for all audiences
The Guthrie Theater will show "Blithe Spirit" through January 14th. Tickets are available at the door.
The Guthrie Theater will show "Blithe Spirit" through January 14th. Tickets are available at the door.
January 11, 2018
This winter, Noël Coward’s “Blithe Spirit” graces the Guthrie theater, giving audiences a comedic and compelling take on the afterlife.
The play centers on Charles Condomine, a successful novelist who seeks to understand the ethereal world for his new book. To help him acquire this insight, Condomine and his wife Ruth invite a whimsical medium named Madam Arcati to dinner to perform a séance.The plot then unravels, as Elvira, a past wife of Charles, materializes so only Charles can see her. The play delves into the world of what happens after death in a comedic and irrational way.
The acting talent varied across the small cast of seven. Actors Quinn Mattfeld (Charles Condomine) and Heidi Armbruster (Ruth Condomine) both displayed amazing characterization and bounce off each other flawlessly, as their characters often went back and forth from fighting to being affectionate. Actress Elia Monte-Brown (Elvira) provided a wonderful energy to the play with her playful spirit and large confident stage presence, which was well portrayed throughout the story.
Actress Sally Wingert (Madam Arcati) is by far one of the best parts of the show. Wingert’s complete devotion to the odd character pulled viewers’ attention in every scene. Wingert provided many of the comedic aspects of the show, which gave a nice contrast to the intensity of the central conflict.
Another top-notch aspect of the play was the costuming and set design. The costumes perfectly portrayed the essence of the ‘40s in England, and the house set was beautifully decorated. The set also included many technical features that helped out with scenes where objects had to move, break, etc. The costuming of Elvira and Ruth as ghosts provided a very artistic and interesting parallel between life and death, as the living and the dead wore the same costumes, yet with different color schemes.
Overall, “Blithe Spirit” was a phenomenal play. The story was consistently engaging and it was something I had never seen before. The play felt like I was watching an entertaining TV show, which I thought was a great experience.
For those interested in this high-spirited comedy, tickets for ‘Blithe Spirit,’ playing through January 14, 2018 at the Guthrie Theater, are currently for sale.
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