Blithe Spirit
Written by Noël Coward
Directed by Christopher Marino
at Evanston Arts Depot, 600 Main Street (map)
thru May 11 | tickets: $10-$25 | more info
Check for half-price tickets
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A thoroughly enjoyable, spirited evening!
Piccolo Theatre presents
Blithe Spirit
Review by Anuja Vaidya
Letting go of the past ranks high on the list of human emotional struggles. But what if your past comes back to haunt you? What if it sets up camp in your house and stubbornly refuses to leave? Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit explores these questions in a most hilariously literal manner.
Blithe Spirit takes the typical drawing room drama and turns it on its head. Fast-paced dialog and witty repartee characterize the script. Chad Bianchi’s set is beautifully detailed, right down to a copy of The Times that Ruth reads one morning. Piccolo uses the audience’s close proximity to the stage to accentuate the details in the set and props (designed by Cassy Schillo), clearly working to their advantage. The era is also captured perfectly through Joshua D. Allard’s costumes. Kudos to Aimee Warshall as well, for her beautiful lighting design work. It blends in with the show and enhances the scene without steering any attention away from it.
The performances are, overall, commendable. The cast captures the spirit of the script and, with the exception of one or two actors, manages to deliver the many clever lines with throwaway ease, which is perfect for this play. Lauren Goode and Kate McDermott, in particular, are fantastic. As the two warring wives, they act as perfect foils for each other. Goode does a masterful job of showing us a confident, self-assured woman dissolve into despair at the sudden twist of fate that forces her to share her home with her husband’s late wife. McDermott is appropriately petulant and mischievous. In short, a spot-on blithe spirit.
The only caveat of the show is its length. Despite the playful and thoroughly enjoyable dialogue, the pacing is too uneven to sustain one’s interest for two and a half hours. Some scenes could use some tweaking in terms of comedic timing and delivery.
This production is theater in the most familiar sense. It is extremely well done and as long as you don’t come in expecting something that pushes the limits of the theatrical form, you wont be disappointed. It is a clever script, skillfully portrayed and has great production value. With some fine-tuning, this could be a must-see show. As it stands, however, it still makes for a thoroughly enjoyable Saturday night.
Rating: ★★★
Blithe Spirit continues through May 11th at Evanston Arts Depot, 600 Main, Evanston (map), with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays 3pm. Tickets are $10-$15, and are available by phone (847-424-0089) or online through PrintTixUSA.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at PiccoloTheatre.com. (Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes, includes an intermission)
Photos by REP3
artists
cast
Kevin Bishop (Charles Condomine), Lauren Goode (Ruth Condomine), Kate McDermott (Elvira Condomine), Jason Martin (Dr. Bradman), Vanessa Hughes (Mrs. Bradman), Joan McGrath (Madame Arcati), Genesee Spridco, Alyson Grauer (Edith Blake), Claire Hart, Nathan Thompson (understudies).
behind the scenes
Christopher Marino (director); Tabbi Koller (asst. director); Stephanie M. Neilitz (production stage manager); Benjamin Cormalleth (asst. stage manager); Joshua D. Allard (costumes); Aimee Warshall (lighting); Cassy Schillo (props designer); Chad Bianchi (set design); Aaron Quick (sound design); Gordon Granger (master carpenter, tech director); Jason Martin (dialect coach); David Gonzalez (fight choreographer); Nicholas Spence (graphics); Jennifer Kramer (house manager); Amanda Kulczewski (audience services, tech consultant); Robert E. Potter III (photos).
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