BTE presents Blithe Spirit for three weeks only!

The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble breathes new life into a beloved comedy classic this spring when it presents Noel Coward’s hilariously haunting Blithe Spirit for three weeks only at the Alvina Krause Theatre in downtown Bloomsburg, March 6 through 22, 2008.
Blithe Spirit is the third show in BTE’s miraculous 30th anniversary season and will be presented for just three weeks, with only eleven performances scheduled between March 6 and 22, 2008. Two reduced price previews are offered on Thursday, March 6 and Friday, March 7 at 7PM.

Blithe Spirit is the story of Charles Condomine, a writer who gets more than he bargained for when he invites a spiritual medium to conduct a séance at a dinner party hosted by his wife, Ruth, and attended by their friends, the Bradmans. The eccentric Madame Arcati accidentally summons the spirit of Charles’ late wife, Elvira, who torments and teases Charles and Ruth in a series of pranks which grow more and more sinister. When Madame Arcati can’t get rid of Elvira, Charles and Ruth have to learn to tolerate Elvira through the awkward, the disastrous and the hilarious. The story’s unexpected resolution has surprised and delighted audiences for over sixty years!

Coward wrote Blithe Spirit in just five days during a vacation he took on the coast of Wales in 1941, having evacuated London during the Blitz. Although the play received criticism for treating death lightly in the dark times of the second World War, audiences loved it and the original production, directed by Coward himself, ran for a record breaking 1,997 consecutive performances in London’s West End in the early 1940s.
Andrew Hubatsek and Cassandra Pisieczko portray Charles and Ruth Condomine. Elizabeth Dowd plays the ghost of Charles’ first wife, Elvira. Laurie McCants plays the mystical Madame Arcati. Daniel Roth and frequent guest actor Samantha J. Phillips are the skeptical Dr. and Mrs. Bradman. First time guest artist Lisa Kathryn Hokans plays the high-strung maid, Edith.

Blithe Spirit is directed by Associate Ensemble Member Tom Byrn, who returns to Bloomsburg after last directing The Laramie Project at BTE in 2003. Also returning is Associate Ensemble Member Jerry Matheny as guest stage manager. The production team includes Richard Latta, who has designed lighting for 30 BTE shows over 21 years, including Red Herring and Born Yesterday. Designing for BTE for the first time are costume designer Whitney Locher and set designer Dustin Eshenroder. Bloomsburg University’s theatre technical director Ethan Krupp designs the sound for Blithe Spirit.

Blithe Spirit runs March 6 through 22, 2008. Performances are Thursdays at 7:00PM, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00PM, and Sundays at 3:00PM, with two reduced price previews Thursday March 6 and Friday March 7, 2008 at 7:00PM. Tickets are: $23.00 for adults, $15.00 for seniors age 60 and over, $10.00 for students, and $4.00 for Bloomsburg University students with a valid I.D. Previews are $10.00, all seats. Blithe Spirit is sponsored by Kleerdex Company, LLC and BTE’s 30th Season sponsors, WNEP and the Press Enterprise.

The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble is a non-profit, professional theatre located in the heart of downtown Bloomsburg. Founded in 1978, the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble is celebrating its 30th season of bringing quality entertainment to Northeastern Pennsylvania. For more information on BTE, please visit the website at www.bte.org.