From a ghost to an eclectic medium to a country doctor – Rivercity Players upcoming production of Blithe Spirit features an interesting range of characters.
The actors are rising to the challenge as they develop and fine tune the diverse characters they are playing, led by director Alistair Taylor (full disclosure – yes, the same Alistair Taylor who is editor of this publication).
Taylor explained that one of the things he likes about Blithe Spirit is that it has very clear and distinct characters. Each role has a unique personality.
“My job,” he said, “is to provide a framework and guidelines within which the actors can find and create their character.”
The play takes place at the English home of Charles and Ruth Condomine. Tim Myerscough plays Charles, a middle aged writer. Myerscough says he is playing a character that is a change from his own personality.
“Charles is very different than I am, he’s much more of an extrovert, and he’s superficial in his relationships,” Myerscough said.
Kelly McDonald plays Ruth, who she also finds very different from herself. She explained that as an actor, she starts off with an idea about her character, how they should be – and as rehearsals go along, the character continues to develop more fully.
“Ruth is a solid, respectable lady with more than a bit of control freak in her,” she said. “Elvira (the ghost) is going to turn her world upside down!”
There is one more resident in the Condomine house, and that is their quirky maid, Edith, played by Doris Wagner.
“She wants to be the best maid possible, but is a bit bumbling,” said Wagner. “I like that she keeps trying to be a star performer.”
Wagner says that while she doesn’t have a lot in common with Edith, she can relate to always wanting to give your best.
In the opening scenes, the Condomines host a séance to gather information for a project Charles is working on. They invite their friends, Dr. and Mrs. Bradman, to participate.
The skeptical Dr. is played by Douglas Craig, a newcomer to Rivercity Players. He describes his character as conservative and class conscious, unlike himself, but he “really enjoys being him for a couple of hours at a time.”
Mrs. Bradman is played by Kathy Cullen, also new to Rivercity Players. Cullen has found her biggest challenge has been in discovering Mrs. Bradman’s character (who she describes as soft-hearted, not particularly bright, and lacking some social filters), and filling it out in voice and movement. Through research, she found her character described as middle aged and a bit faded.
“It’s fun playing a character that I think is different from me,” she said, “hmmm, I’m middle aged, faded, soft-hearted – well, hopefully there are differences!”
To lead the séance, the Condomines have invited Madame Arcati, an eccentric medium played by Dianne Nelson. She has found similarities between herself and the medium, who, whenever she achieves success, revels in it.
“I have some of that exuberant energy that sometimes gets the best of Madame Arcati,” she said.
Madame Arcati has success at the séance, and manages to call forth the temperamental spirit of Elvira, Charles’ first wife.
Elvira is played by Michelle Segal, who is challenged by keeping Elvira’s ghostliness and humanity in balance.
“She died young, and is still very young at heart,” said Segal. “She has not been able to move on from her death or Charles, desperately believing that if they were able to be together she could find peace.”
While Segal is not a fan of Elvira’s tactics, she adores her adventurous spirit and bravery, and thinks they would have had similar friends in the afterlife.
Once Elvira is on the scene, Charles finds himself having to juggle the interests of two wives, which makes for a very entertaining show.
Blithe Spirit is playing at the Rivercity Stage, 1080 Hemlock St., March 6-9 and March 13-16 at 7:30 p.m. and March 10 and 17 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20, and available at Impressions Gallery, Music Plant and tickets.tidemarktheatre.com. Blithe Spirit is suitable for all ages.
