“Pure fun,” is
how director Debbie Levin describes Brewster Theater Company’s
spring 2012 production, the classic farce from Noel Coward,
Blithe Spirit.
The ‘spirit’ in
this case is Elvira (Angela Bowman), Charles Condomine’s
temperamental first wife who is unwittingly summoned by medium
Madame Arcati (Jody Bayer) during a séance in the Condomine home.
Elvira continues to haunt Charles in an attempt to disrupt his
marriage to his second wife Ruth (Dianna Waller) who cannot see or
hear the ghost. Fellow
séance guests Dr. Bradman (Brian DeToma) and his wife (Suzanne Ochs)
and the Condomine’s eager-to-please maid Edith (Kristen Casey) round
out this ensemble comedy.
British
playwright Noel Coward wrote the play in 1941 to give his fellow
Londoners something light-hearted to distract them from the grim
reality of the war that was literally raging in their backyard.
Ms Levin, who is a huge fan of comedies from this era,
believes that American audiences will likewise embrace the
opportunity to escape reality for an evening of laughs.
In this production, Levin emphasizes that the focus is on the
humor and has resisted the temptation of other productions of this
show to make a statement about marriage or death.
“Once you start taking it too seriously it loses the fun,”
she says.
While Levin,
who resides in Brewster, has quite a few directing credits including
Moon Over Buffalo (which
received Taconic Weekends Best Picks of 2003),
TANYS Award-winning The
Importance of Being Earnest and most recently
Round and Round the Garden
with Ridgefield Theater Barn, she has always wanted to direct
Blithe Spirit.
With a strong
cast of performers who Levin describes as “extremely dedicated and
enthusiastic from the first day of rehearsal,” the show is set up to
deliver on the entertainment front.
The production features Jody
Bayer (Danbury, CT), Angela Bowman (Carmel, NY), Kristen Casey
(Cornwall-On-Hudson, NY), Brian DeToma (Waterbury,CT), Suzanne Ochs
(Peekskill,NY) Bruce Tredwell (Brewster, NY) and Dianna Waller
(Brewster, NY).
Equally as dedicated and creative in Levin’s mind are the technical crew. With a show that relies to a large extent on visual and stage effects that require split second timing and accuracy, she acknowledges that the production team of Barbara Disraeli (stage manager), Frank Funigiello (sets/special effects), Kitty Ridenour (costumes), and Joe Beahm (technical director/lighting designer) contributes greatly to the show’s impact.
Blithe Spirit will be performed on April 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, and 28 at 8 pm at The Melrose School 120 Federal Road, Brewster, NY 10509. Tickets are $15 for adults and $13 for students/seniors. Groups interested in purchasing 10 or more tickets should call for more information. Please call 845-598-1621 or log onto www.brewstertheater.org to make reservations or obtain more information about the show.
This event is made
possible, in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the
support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the NY State Legislature and
with public funds from Putnam County.
These grant programs are managed and monitored by the Putnam
Arts Council.
Cast Announcement
Blithe Spirit
by Noel Coward
Rehearsals are underway for Brewster
Theater Company’s spring 2012 production, the classic farce from
Noel Coward, Blithe Spirit.
Cast members
include Jody Bayer (Madame Arcati), Angela Bowman (Elvira
Condomine), Kristen Casey (Edith), Conrad Coffield (Dr. Bradman),
Suzanne Ochs (Mrs. Bradman), Bruce Tredwell (Charles Condomine), and
Dianna Waller (Ruth Condomine).
Jody Bayer (Danbury, CT) has several past BTC credits
including Rumors, The Lion in
Winter, Play On!, and
Tartuffe. Angela
Bowman (Carmel) appeared in BTC’s production of
Come Back to the Five and
Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.
Kristen Casey (Cornwall) was seen in BTC’s spring 2011
production in the title role of
Sylvia and has also
starred in Veronica’s Room.
Conrad Coffield (Bedford) returns to BTC after a stint in
BTC’s fall 2011 production of
Our Town. Suzanne Ochs (Peekskill) was also last seen with BTC
in Come Back to the Five and
Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. Bruce Tredwell (Brewster) has a
long history with BTC with roles in
A Few Good Men,
Moon Over Buffalo, The Lion in
Winter, Tartuffe and,
most recently, Our Town.
Dianna Waller (Brewster) played a featured nun in BTC’s summer 2011
musical production of The
Sound of Music.
Photo Credit: Barbara Disraeli
Kriten Casey, Suzanne Ochs, Jody Bayer, Conrad
Coffield,
Angela Bowman, Bruce Tredwell, Dianna
Waller
Director Debbie
Levin is a veteran of Community Theater and has many credits both
with Brewster Theater Company and in the local area. With BTC, Ms
Levin directed the critically acclaimed
Moon Over Buffalo and,
more recently, Come Back to
the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and
The Rainmaker.
In the fall of 2011, she
directed Round and Round the
Garden for Ridgefield Theater Barn.
Ms Levin is also past president of The Brewster Theater
Company.
Noel Coward was a
prolific British playwright best known to contemporary audiences for
his comedies Hay Fever,
Private Lives, Present
Laughter and Blithe Spirit
which was written in 1949.
In this ‘delightful and improbable’ farce, writer Charles’
Condomine’s temperamental first wife Elvira,is unwittingly summoned
by medium Madame Arcati during a séance in the Condomine home.
Elvira continues to haunt Charles in an attempt to disrupt
his marriage to his second wife Ruth who cannot see or hear the
ghost.
Blithe Spirit
will be performed April 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, and 28 at The Melrose
School in Brewster.
For more information about this production, please call
845-598-1621 or log onto www.brewstertheater.org.
This event is made possible, in part by the New
York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew
Cuomo and the NY State Legislature and with public funds from Putnam
County. These grant
programs are managed and monitored by the Putnam Arts Council.
Audition Information
The Brewster
Theater Company, Inc
Announces
auditions for its Spring 2012 Production of
Blithe Spirit
An
Improbable Farce in Three Acts
By Noel Coward
Audition Details
Dates/Times: February 6-7 from 7 - 9 pm
Call Backs: February 9 at 7 pm
Location:
Summary
Socialite and novelist Charles Condomine, invites an eccentric
medium and
clairvoyant, Madame Arcati, to his house to conduct a
séance, hoping to gather material for his next book. The
scheme backfires when he is haunted by the ghost of his annoying and
temperamental first wife, Elvira, following the séance. Elvira makes
continual attempts to disrupt Charles's marriage to his second wife,
Ruth, who cannot see or hear the ghost.
Cast
Charles Condomine:
Age 30’s-40’s. Suave,
confident, self-assured….a successful author now settled into a
respectable country lifestyle.
Ruth Condomine:
Age 30’s-40’s. Charles’ second wife, Ruth is intelligent, self
confident, self-satisfied, elegant in a restrained, respectable way,
very much in control of her world.
Elvira Condomine:
Age 20’s-40’s. Charles’
first wife, Elvira is lovely, elegant in a wild, carefree way,
spoiled, petulant, teasing….and quite beguiling.
Madame Arcati:
Age 30’s-6o’s. A
local ‘colorful’ and eccentric character, she is a psychic and
authoress…an odd combination of English tweed and Gypsy excess.
Ethel:
Age 20’s-30’s. The
maid….young, clumsy, a bit dull, shy and eager to please.
Violet Bradman:
Age 30’s–50’s.
The local doctor’s wife, a bit flighty and impressionable.
Dr. Bradman:
Age 30’s–50’s. The local
country doctor, he is capable, affable and pleasant.
(NOTE:
Ages shown are general guidelines only)
Blithe Spirit
is scheduled to be performed April 13-14, 20-21, and 27-28 at the
For further
information and directions, please go to
www.brewstertheater.org
or leave a message at 845-598-1621.
This event is made
possible, in part, with public funds from the Artslink Program,
combining or using both State and County dollars.
In
Make Reservations
Keep Informed
Join our newsletter list to keep informed about upcoming auditions, performances and more!
