‘Blithe Spirit’ by Noël Coward. The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2018. Directed by Victoria Mack. Pictured (left to right): Kate MacCluggage as Ruth, Ames Adamson as Mr. Bradman, Tina Stafford as Madame Arcati, and Brent Harris as Charles. Photo credit: Jerry Dalia.
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey continues its 56th season with a production of the play Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward. This British comedy delights audiences as it brings a teasing of the supernatural to the stage. Blithe Spirit is one of Coward’s most popular plays. It has been over 20 years since The Shakespeare Theatre presented this production.
A brief synopsis of the story of Blithe Spirit is as follows:
When an eccentric medium is asked to conduct a séance as an evening’s entertainment at the country home of Charles and Ruth Condomine, their pristine English country house is turned upside down when Elvira, the stylish ghost of Charles’s past wife is conjured up. Hilarious mayhem ensues as the wife from the afterlife and the wife from this life battle over Charles’ affections.
The play has good, crisp dialog that assists the funny situations which arise. The characters include socialite Charles Condomine, Ruth Condomine, his second wife, Elvira Condomine, his first wife and ghostly presence, Madame Arcati, a medium, Doctor Bradman, a friend, Mrs Bradman, his wife and Edith, a maid. There are surprises along the way that add to an enjoyable plot.
Victoria Mack, a member of the Theatre’s Company makes her STNJ directing debut. The cast includes Company favorites Brent Harris, Tina Stafford, Ames Adamson, and Susan Maris who are joined by Kate MacCluggage of The 39 Steps fame.
Single tickets for Blithe Spirit begin at $49. The Theatre also offers the 30 UNDER 30 program for the 2018 season. Patrons aged 30 and under can purchase tickets for only $30 with a valid ID, subject to availability. For tickets, patrons can call the Box Office at 973-408-5600 or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org. Purchases can also be made at the Box Office right at the the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre located at 36 Madison Avenue in Madison, NJ.
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey offers various cost-saving opportunities, including $15 student rush tickets, which are available 30 minutes prior to each performance with a valid student ID, as well as a limited number of Pay What You Can tickets for every performance on a first come, first serve basis.
Special Performances
- For the same price as a regular ticket, the Symposium Series performances offer a post-show discussion with the cast and artistic staff. For Blithe Spirit, the symposia will be held following the Tuesday, August 21 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, August 25 at 2:00 p.m., and Saturday, September 1 at 2:00 p.m. performances.
- The Know the Show pre-show talks are offered free-of-cost. Prior to the show, an artist from The Shakespeare Theatre presents a pre-performance talk providing background information and an inside perspective on the production. This program is free with the purchase of a performance ticket, and for Blithe Spirit will be held on Thursday, August 23 at 7:00 p.m., with the show beginning at 8:00 p.m.
- Captioned performances and Audio Described performances are also available. The captioned performance for Blithe Spirit will be on Sunday, August 19 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, please contact the Box Office. The Audio Described performance for Blithe Spirit will be on Sunday, August 26 at 7:30 p.m.