The cast of ‘Blithe Spirit’ back row from left, Dr. Bradman (Tomas Farish) Madame Arcati (Terry Beery), Edith (Gloria Galassi). Front row from left, Mrs. Bradman (Pat Beck), Elvira (Wendy Caldwell Lanchier), Charles (Patrick MacDonald) and Ruth (Kelly Dolejsi). Photo by Zachary K. Baker/LALT
Review by BONNIE J. GORDON
Los Alamos Daily Post
bjgordon@ladailypost.com
“Blithe Spirit” at Los Alamos Little Theatre got a bit of a rocky start due to fire danger during its opening week. The play is back on the stage, with extra performances this weekend and next.
“Blithe Spirit” is a play by British playwright Noel Coward, first performed in the West End in 1941 where it ran for a record 1,997 performances before moving on to Broadway later that year. It centers around upper crusty novelist Charles Condomine (Patrick MacDonald) who invites the eccentric clairvoyant Madame Arcati (Terry Beery) to his house to conduct a seance.
His wife, the very proper Ruth (Kelly Dolejsi) and Charles have invited Dr. Bradman (Tomas Farish) and his wife (Pat Beck) to attend. The Bradmans don’t seem to like each other much and are constantly sniping.
Although Madame Arcati has a decidedly mixed success rate, she manages to summon Charles’ first wife, Elvira (Wendy Caldwell Lanchier) who is seven years dead. The mischievous ghost, who only Charles can see or hear, spends the play trying to break up Charles’ marriage.
Coward is operating in a mielleux that is much less familiar to an American audience than it is to a British one. The characters are upper middle class and expensive trappings are taken for granted. The two couples are straightlaced and proper, but also silly and hypocritical. They make the slightly dotty medium and the flighty, self-centered first wife Elvira both more sympathetic and also funnier.
MacDonald is nearly perfect as the uptight, beleaguered Charles. Trying to appease both his wives, he wheedles and bullies by turns, while expressing his true love for both his very different wives. I’ve never seen MacDonald play a character like this and he’s completely believable and very funny.
Lanchier as the endearing but exasperating Elvira, charms us while garnering her share of laughs and makes us see how fun Elvira must have been in life in spite of her flaws. Dolejsi stepped in to play at the eleventh hour to play Ruth. She does a bang-up job. Ruth could be a wet blanket, but Dolejsi plays her as a strong woman, determined to cope with an impossible situation. By the play’s end, we’re cheering for Ruth. The relationship between Ruth and Elvira is one of the best things about the play and watching it evolve is one of the joys of “Blithe Spirit”.
Beery is wonderful as the somewhat batty Madame Arcati. This character often steals the show. This production would be no exception if it weren’t for the strong performances by the rest of the cast. Madame Arcati is a real medium, with real knowledge of the spirit world. Beery grounds her while reveling in her dotty charm.
In smaller roles, Farish and Beck are both terrific as the bickering Bradmans. They are silly and endearing by turns. They function beautifully as the outsiders who have no idea what the heck is going on. Gloria Galassi as Edith the maid brings charm to a small role.
The show is deftly directed by Gwen Lewis. She managed to keep the play (which is nearly 3 hours long) moving. The cast’s cohesion is a testament to her skill. Technical Director Paul Lewis and light designer Nathan Lewis bring lots of magic to the proceedings with lighting that is effective and not overdone. The set is beautiful, and the costumes (by Pam Justice) are perfect.
This is a feel-good performance with a great cast and crew. It’s the perfect way to get back into the theatre after the fire scare and the pandemic.
“Blithe Spirit” continues at 7:30 p.m. today, 2 p.m. Sunday and next weekend at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Performing Arts Center at 1670 Nectar St.
Tickets are available at lalt.org and at the door.
