For those who like witty, biting dialogue, “Blithe Spirit” is certainly an enjoyable show.

Syracuse Stage premiered “Blithe Spirit,” Noel Coward’s 1941 comedy last week. The story revolves around the loves — past and present — of novelist Charles Condomine. Condomine and his second wife, Ruth, invite their friends over for a dinner party at their home and shortly after begin to discuss a séance, planned for later that evening.

All are skeptics of the séance, especially after being introduced to the eccentric and energetic medium, Madame Arcati. In fact, Charles is interested simply to do research for his next book. But during the séance, his dead former wife Elvira’s spirit is summoned. Charles is the only one who can see or hear her, and the rest of the party thinks he is playing a trick on them.

Eventually, Ruth begins to suspect Elvira wants to kill Charles so the two can be together in the spirit world. In an ironic twist, Elvira kills Ruth, prompting her to return as a spirit and attack Elvira. A desperate Charles calls Madame Arcati back to expel both spirits, and leaves on a vacation, ending the show without a firm sense of closure.

Director Michael Barakiva did a masterful job using the space that the John D. Archbold Theatre at Syracuse Stage provided, as scenic designer John Iacovelli’s living room set proved to be a perfect size to capture the action. Much of the cast did a tremendous job of feeding off one another’s energy, emphasizing key phrases in good-hearted ribbing, which led to an overall smart and amicable show.

The best performance was given by Jeremiah Wiggins, whose portrayal of Charles amusingly played on the advantage of having two women fight for his attention. Wiggins was able to go back and forth from talking to Ruth and Elvira in alternating moods, showcasing quick versatility and superb comedic timing in some of the more challenging scenes.

Another strong character was Ruth, played by Jody Parsons. Parsons played Ruth with esteemed and sharp wit, making her into a woman any man would want to impress. As Ruth’s situation grew more uncomfortable with the constant presence of Elvira, Parsons was able to show her uneasiness, without losing the demeanor expected from women of that era. The scenes between Parsons and Wiggins were especially entertaining and their chemistry won laughter from the audience.

Curzon Dobell and Elizabeth Ingram, who played the couple’s friends, the Bradmans, were solid players, though unable to make anything notable out of their smaller roles. Patricia Hodges conveyed a fairly convincing Madame Arcati, performing the séance scenes with incredible energy. However, Hodges lacked the clout with contesting dialogue that the rest of the cast had.

Elvira, played by Gisela Chipe, was charming, but entirely too childish. Sure, it is fair for a woman who has been dead for seven years to be excited to return to earth, but at times Elvira danced about the stage in a very juvenile manner.

Lastly, Antonieta Pereira played the Condomine’s house servant Edith. Pereira, a senior acting major at Syracuse University, excelled in bringing physical humor to what would have otherwise been a forgettable character.

Despite a strong cast and advantageous usages of space and props, the script gets too long-winded and dialogue-dependent. Several times throughout the show, characters have lengthy conversations that do nothing to drive the plot, making the show slow down and unable to pick itself back up.

Coward, who wrote the show amid airstrikes on England, undoubtedly crafted the comedy as a way for the London public to mentally escape from World War II. However, at some point in the second of the three acts, they may have wanted to escape the theatre as well.

 

Published on September 22, 2013 at 11:33 pm

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