By Marilyn Painter
Act II Players, Mandarin’s community theatre, brought a production of “Blithe Spirit” to life this past month in its new black box theater that helped the audience feel almost a part of the action.
In Noel Coward’s hit play, skeptical novelist Charles Condomine (played by Derrek Koch in his stage debut) invites self-proclaimed medium Madame Arcati (played by Maureen Chadler Reid) to his home for a séance, hoping to gather material for a new book. When the hapless psychic accidentally summons the spirit of Condomine’s late wife, Elvira (played by Marilyn Painter), his home and life are quickly turned to farce as his wife’s ghost torments both himself and his new bride, Ruth (played by Shannen Murray). Elvira’s obsession with Charles and her strong desire to have him all to herself lead to the surfacing of secrets for all these characters with plenty of hijinks along the way.
Act II Players thanked everyone who made the production a success, with special recognition to Jamie Glavich, the producer who transformed her business, Almost Home Daybreak, into a black box theater.
For more information, visit actiiplayers.org.
