Blithe Spirit

by Noël Coward

Directed by Dann Peterson

DESCRIPTION:

In this sparkling supernatural comedy, novelist Charles Condomine invites a medium to conduct a séance—but instead of inspiration, he accidentally conjures his late (and mischievous) first wife, Elvira. As Elvira wreaks ghostly havoc on Charles and his current marriage, things go from strange to absolutely otherworldly. With razor-sharp wit, eccentric characters, and Coward’s signature charm, Blithe Spirit is a delightfully witty reminder that the past has a way of lingering… especially when it’s not quite ready to leave.

PERFORMANCE DATES:

Runs Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays June 19 through July 12, plus a Monday Pay-What-You-Can performance on June 29. In place of a July 4 performance, there will be a performance on Thursday, July 9 at 7:30pm. There will be no performance on July 4. Cast and crew are required to participate in strike immediately following the final performance.

REHEARSALS:

Rehearsals will begin on or around May 1st, and generally run Monday-Thursday evenings and Saturday, either mornings or early afternoons. Whenever possible actors will be scheduled on an as needed basis.

AUDITION DATES:

March 3 & 4, 6:30-9:00pm. Doors open at 6:00p. Callbacks on March 9, 6:30-8:30p, if needed.

AUDITION FORMAT:

Auditioners will read select readings from the script using a proper English accent (except Edith, who speakes cockney).

Sides available in advance: https://www.theatreintheround.org/home/get-involved/auditions/.

Please note that all roles at Theatre in the Round are volunteer; however, as of the 2024-2025 season all actors will be offered a $100 honorarium and be provided a new professional headshot, with rights to use digitally or print.

CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS:

Except as noted, roles are open to actors of all identities – racial, ethnic, sexual, gender – and no roles assume the presence or absence of disability.

Except for Edith, who speaks cockney, all characters speak with proper English accents. Those cast will have the assistance of a dialect coach.

CHARLES CONDOMINE: In his forties, Charles is an intelligent and urbane middle-aged English novelist. Charles is the husband of Ruth Condomine and deceased first wife, Elvira. Charles is bright, sophisticated, articulate, and debonair but somewhat at the mercy of his wives, past and present. His interest in spiritualism as a subject for a novel leads Charles to ask Madame Arcati to dinner and a séance. He is skeptical but becomes a believer when the ghost of his first wife appears—and stays.

RUTH CONDOMINE: A smart looking woman in her mid-thirties, Ruth is the second wife of Charles. Like her husband, Ruth is witty and sophisticated, and she is quite the society matron. Ruth is a bit stuffy and a little predictable. She is convinced that Charles has lost his mind when Elvira appears. Ruth acts as a concerned wife, trying to restore Charles to normalcy.

ELVIRA: Charles Condomine’s deceased first wife, Elvira returns as a ghost with a goal. In the process, she makes Charles’s and Ruth’s lives very complicated. Only Charles can see or hear her. In life, Elvira was spirited, outgoing, wild, and carefree. In death, she is no different; she socializes with Genghis Khan. She does love Charles, if somewhat casually, and is jealous of Ruth. The 'Blithe Spirit' of the title, Elvira is beautiful, delightful, passionate, carefree and fun. She is also morally questionable, manipulative and petulant. Early to mid-thirties.

MADAM ARCATI: Local spiritualist and medium. Elderly but spry, Madame Arcati comes into the play talking to an eight-year-old contact on the other side. She truly is in contact with the other world and inadvertently is the “medium” through which Elvira is called back to this one. She is eccentric, effusive and boisterous.

DR. GEORGE BRADMAN: Pleasant looking middle-aged man, a good friend of the Condomines who is invited to dinner and the séance. He is entirely skeptical of anything to do with the occult but tries his utmost to go along with the proceedings for the sake of Charles’ research.

VIOLET BRADMAN: Dr. Bradman’s wife. Mrs. Bradman is middle-aged and a bit faded. Simple and naïve, she is quite excited about being in the presence of the medium, whom she finds fascinating.

EDITH: Naive and nervous new maid at the Condomines' house. She is easily flustered and overwhelmed by her new responsibilities and the eccentric world around her. Edith is unintentionally responsible for bringing back Elvira, Charles's ghost, through her involvement in a séance. Her nervousness and naiveté contribute to the play's comedic elements, as she is often seen in a state of frantic activity.