The ghost of a departed wife plagues her still-living husband in 'Blithe Spirit.' (Steve DiBartolomeo)
A specter haunts the Condomine household, but the incorporeal emanation of Charles Condomine’s first wife is the spirit with which Blithe Spirit, which plays at Center Stage through May 20, concerns itself the least. Instead we are invited to laugh at the vanity, arrogance, pretense and pomp of the English middle class.
The Jewel Theatre Company’s production of Noel Coward’s acerbic comedy opened over the weekend at the 88-person theater. In it dilettante “novelist” Charles Condomine and his second wife Ruth have assembled a small group of friends for a seance, ostensibly so that Charles can gather material for a new book. We quickly realize, however, that the Condomines only seek to amuse themselves at the expense of the likeable—and possibly insane—Madame Arcati. Unfortunately for them, the seance works all too well and the household is plagued by the apparition of Charles’ first wife, Elvira.
Coward uses the moment to upbraid the idle fatuousness of middle class existence. Though he’s a self-professed writer, we never witness Charles actually set pen to paper. In fact, we never see the Condomines do much except complain, drink brandy and eat hors d’oeuvres. Jewel Theatre vet Shaun Carroll admirably performs the lead as a tiresome character whose misfortune at being henpecked by wives living and dead becomes our main source of amusement.
JTC’s excellent production manages to capture the subtleties of Coward’s original script. Charles’ boorish conceit anchors the play, but the rest of the cast adds the texture necessary to make a truly great satire. Ruth (Christina Anselmo) is properly portrayed as indolent and obsessed with what other people think of her, Elivira (Diahanna Davidson) comes off as the wicked schemer and Madame Arcati (Diana Torres Koss) is the lovable eccentric, even if she does lack any self-awareness. All in all the Jewel Theatre Company deserves commendation for proving once again that it’s great fun to laugh at the idle class. (Juan Guzman)
BLITHE SPIRIT
Thursdays–Sundays through May 20
Center Stage, 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz
Tickets $28 general/$23 students and seniors at www.jeweltheatre.net or 831.425.7506.
