Review: 'Blithe Spirit' Evokes Carefree Ghosts Of The Past
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Over the years I’ve been working with the Wagon Wheel and writing reviews – eight or 10, whatever it’s been – I’ve met a lot of actors and seen a lot of shows. Some of the actors I continue to see on the stage or for interviews, though not so many now. Others are like ghosts in my memory – occasionly floating to the forefront of my mind, making me think of a certain show or wondering where they are now. As I watched Ann Whitney in “Blithe Spirit” opening night Wednesday, I couldn’t help but consider the possibility that she may retire from the stage and I’d never get the privilege of seeing or interviewing her again. I saw her in 2004 in “Barefoot in the Park” with Rod Thomas. When she returned for “On Golden Pond” in 2005, I got to watch her perform with James Robert Daniels, Amber Gainey Meade and Ben Dicke (who co-directed “Blithe Spirit” this year with Andy Robinson). I also recall her in “Steel Magnolias”. I’ve interviewed her now at least two times, maybe three, over the years. But if she’s going to take her final bow at the Wagon Wheel with “Blithe Spirit”, her performance as Madame Arcati, an eccentric psychic medium, is a great way for her to take that exit. Whitney plays the role with a lot of positive flair and crazy enthusiasm. Her performance suggests Madame Arcati may not know exactly what she’s doing, but she’s going to give it 100 percent anyway. When Madame Arcati makes her first entry onto the stage – into the home of Charles and Ruth Condomine (David Schlumpf and Jennifer Dow respectively) – she arrives through the side door, wearing an old-fashioned pilot’s cap and a big shaw around her colorful dress. She downs two dry martinis before beginning her process to communicate with the dead. Whitney acts out the scene without going so over the top that it’s silly. The audience can easily believe that Whitney is the medium she is playing without skepticism, from her first appearance to her last. Her eyes widen at the opportune time to convey fear, surprise or glee while her body language and hand gestures support the reaction needed to further suggest what the Madame is going through. “Blithe Spirit” has just a cast of seven, including Whitney, but whether the actors in this show are on the stage a few minutes or a majority of the time, they have a strong cohesion which not only tells the story but also allows them to support one another. And to produce an enjoyable production such as “Blithe Spirit”, you really need that bond. Without giving too much of the plot away, “Blithe Spirit” is a very British comedy, written by Noel Coward, of a writer, Charles, who wants to write a book about psychics and the afterlife. (Those crazy writers!) He and Ruth invite two of their friends, Dr. George and Mrs. Violet Bradman (Stephen Anthony and Hillary Smith respectively) to participate in a seance with Madame Arcati so Charles can do some research. The seance brings Charles’ dead ex-wife, Elvira (Kira Lace Hawkins), back to the world of the living, though only Charles can hear and see her. But her return brings a whole host of problems for the household. Audiences will undoubtedly remember Schlumpf from his great performance as Billy Flynn in the last show, “Chicago”. In “Blithe Spirit”, his performance is even stronger. In his first scene as Charles, Schlumpf talks about Elvira, reflecting on how she was “morally untidy.” As he says, “She had a talent for living; too bad she died so early,” it felt like he really knew Elvira, not that he was reciting a line. That’s the talent that Schlumpf has though. If he says something about someone or a situation, his delivery convinces you he knows that of which he speaks. Schlumpf really gets into the mindset of his character. Dow is one of those WWT actors I’ve known for years. I’ve seen her in everything from “South Pacific” to “Brighton Beach Memoirs”, and she has continuously impressed me over the years with her acting as much as her friendliness and kindness. As Ruth, the second wife of Charles who has to put up with the ghost of Charles’ first wife, Dow delivers one of her stronger performances to date. When Charles angers Ruth because of the things he says to Elvira, though Ruth thinks Charles is talking to her, you can see the anger in Dow rise as Ruth. Her neck veins start showing, her fists clench and her voice raises. Dow’s and Whitney’s roles are complicated in that they have to react to what a character (Elvira) does or says on stage that their characters can’t see or hear, even though Hawkins is physically on the stage with them. Yet, Dow and Whitney make it seem easy. And Dow’s actions as Ruth have to range from proper to “very glacial”, yet she does that also flawlessly. Her strengths on the stage really support the other actors and their ability to stay in character and in the performance. Elvira is basically the opposite of Ruth, but like her previous roles in “Chicago” and “Legally Blonde”, Hawkins knows what she’s doing on stage. She’s sassy and fierce, pouty and manipulative. Hawkins not only has chemistry on stage with Schlumpf, but she also has good play with Dow. At the end of the first half of the show, there’s a scene where Charles has Elvira do something (don’t want to give too much away here). Dow’s reaction as Ruth not only is grand, but also is one example of chemistry the three actors have together in “Blithe Spirit”. Of course, this season isn’t the first time Hawkins left an impression. In 2007, she was in “Footloose” with Adrian Aguilar and Annie Fitch; played the Queen in “Cinderella” that year; and in 2008 was Aunt Em in “The Wizard of Oz” with Carrie McNulty as the Wicked Witch. Even though the Bradmans aren’t extensively in this show, Anthony and Smith again lend support to those who are. Smith was especially fun as the easily overexcited Violet Bradman. It’s almost too bad Violet wasn’t in more scenes, especially a scene where she could interact with a ghost or two, because Smith could have really made that interesting. Finally, but not by any means any less important, is Annie Yokom as Edith the maid. She’s not only the first character that appears on the stage, but by the end of the show, she becomes very important to the storyline’s resolution. To find out what that is, you have to see the show. Yokom plays Edith with a lot of nervous excitement and energy. She whips on the stage, then runs back off, but those moments she’s on stage are often humorous. If you liked her as Julie Jordan in “Carousel”, you’ll enjoy her as Edith here, even though her on-stage time is less. Another possible character in this production of “Blithe Spirit” could be the scenery and props. Elvira’s first appearance isn’t physical, but in the painting above the fire place. In one scene, the furniture and fixtures rattle and move about. There’s a vase that constantly gets moved about. Using the objects in the scenes is one way the directors help to effectively tell the story and enhance it for the audience. Overall, “Blithe Spirit” is an entertaining play that is fast paced, humorous, dramatic and at times raises interesting questions about marriage, relationships, secrets, lies and the after life. I would recommend you go see it, especially with your significant other for a special date night. My rating (out of four): 3.75. “Blithe Spirit” is at the Wagon Wheel now through Aug. 11. Tickets are on sale now by calling the box office at 866-823-2618, or online at www.wagonwheeltheatre.org
