Blithe Spirit
Shanachie Repertory Company
October 25th - November 6th
Cast
Charles Condomine - Eregor Túr Gairdín
Ruth Condomine, his second wife - Kiri Calderon
Elvira Condomine, his first wife and ghostly presence - Mairead “Maggie” Harker
Madame Arcati, a medium - Leah Fuller Doctor Bradman, a friend - Hugo Durant
Mrs Bradman, his wife - Phyllis Miller
Edith, a maid - Helen Payne
Last edited by Jonathan Granger on Mon Oct 25, 2021 11:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
Charles Condomine, a novelist, and his wife, Ruth, have invited their friends Dr. and Mrs. Bradman to join them for drinks and dinner with a local clairvoyant, Madame Arcati. Charles is planning a novel about a homicidal spiritualist and wants to observe the behavior of Madame Arcati during a séance after dinner. The Bradmans arrive, and the four friends discuss Madame Arcati, sure that she will be a harmless fraud. They are interrupted when Madame Arcati arrives, dinner is served, and the séance begins. Much to the surprise of the two couples, there are supernatural manifestations--the table trembles, Madame Arcati falls into a trance, and Charles hears the voice of Elvira, his first wife, whom he loved dearly but who died several years ago. Frightened, he wakes Madame Arcati, and the party breaks up.
As Charles shows the Bradmans out, in walks the ghost of Elvira, gray from head to foot. Only Charles can see and hear her, and he and Ruth immediately quarrel about her presence. The cross-conversation between Charles and Ruth and Charles and Elvira is exasperating to Ruth, who, believing Charles drunk, goes off to bed in a huff.
The next morning at breakfast, Ruth is very cool to Charles and insists that he had too much to drink the night before. When he insists that he had a hallucination, Ruth attributes it to indigestion. The bickering continues until Elvira enters, carrying roses. When Charles sees her, a comical miscommunication begins, with Ruth unable to see or hear Elvira and feeling certain that Charles’s unpleasant remarks are meant for her. Ruth becomes convinced her husband is mad and tries to soothe him and go for a doctor. Charles, frantic to be believed, enlists Elvira’s help, and she moves a bowl of flowers around the room to prove her existence. Ruth becomes hysterical, not sure whether she is being deluded, is going insane, or is actually in the presence of a ghost.
Later, alone, Ruth visits with Madame Arcati again--and is shocked and angered that Madame Arcati is unable to dematerialize Elvira and also believes that Charles subconsciously wanted Elvira back. When Ruth is rude to her, the spiritualist leaves in a huff. Elvira and Charles enter, and Elvira seems delighted that she will be a permanent guest. Ruth swears to rid herself of the ghost.
Suspense builds when, several days later, both Edith (the maid) and Charles have accidents--Edith because of axle grease rubbed on the stairs and Charles on a ladder that proves to have been sawed nearly in two. Ruth insists, and Charles is convinced, that Elvira is trying to kill Charles in order to have him for herself again. Ruth leaves in the car, which Elvira had booby-trapped for Charles, and is killed in the ensuing “accident.” The act ends with Elvira frantically retreating from Ruth’s ghost, invisible to Charles.
Charles calls Madame Arcati, who goes into a trance to try and dematerialize Elvira. It works in reverse, though, and in walks the ghost of Ruth, now plainly visible, along with Elvira, to Charles. After trying all sorts of supernatural tricks, Madame Arcati is about to despair; the ghosts simply will not go away. Then she realizes that it was not Charles who called up Elvira and Ruth--it was Edith. The maid, when discovered, is contrite, and Madame Arcati hypnotizes her; and the ghosts vanish at last. Suggesting that Charles travel for awhile, Madame Arcati exits.
Charles, now alone, but not really alone, teases Ruth and Elvira about how much he will enjoy his freedom. Vases crash into the fireplace, pictures come crashing down, the mantel topples--and the curtain falls.
“Figure out who you are. Then do it on purpose.” ― Dolly Parton
After getting the script for her role in Blithe Spirit, Maggie went to the proverbial horse’s mouth to get advice on how to best represent being a spirit. She often spoke with Hortense Docquey, "The Grey Lady" of the Shanachie, but this was different.
“What do you think?” Maggie asked the ghost of the building’s former owner.
“You should not worry about how to be a ghost and think about how to make people laugh,” Hortense answered.
Maggie’s brows went lopsided. “Oh! So, concentrate on going big or going home!”
“That’s the spirit!” Hortense winked.
“Very punny!” Maggie chuckled. “I think I can handle the ghost part and the making people laugh part. It’s going to be a little weird playing the dead wife of a man my uncle is playing.”
“Why? You’re a performer when you step on stage, aren’t you? That means putting aside the real you for a while and creating an illusion for the audience. Children often begin acting with the simple game of playing house.”
Maggie shook her head. “Mostly, I played school instead, but I get your point.”
“What’s the next step then?” Hortense smiled.
Maggie’s jaw clenched a moment then relaxed. “I need to talk to the props department and Raul. If I’m going to play a ghost then I’m going to do it my way and create my own vision of someone coming back to haunt people.” During the performances, Maggie used some of her own magical talents to create the illusions and ghostly antics. Things were a bit different each time.
"And those who have not swords can still die upon them." - Eowyn, shieldmaiden of Rohan
