“I really think the play is going to be an absolute riot!” said Erich Medrow, a 20-year-old theater student about “Blithe Spirit,” which opens this weekend in the PAC.
Directed by Eric Petillo and advertised as Noel Coward’s greatest success, this is a play designed for anyone looking to go to a séance, connect with the supernatural or simply laugh a lot while watching chaos unfold. “Blithe Spirit” is designed to captivate audiences with unrelenting wit while having them laugh uproariously in their seats.
According to Petillo, this comedic romp “follows novelist Charles Condomine, who invites the eccentric medium Madame Arcati to his home to conduct a séance as research for his next book. To his shock, the séance accidentally summons the ghost of his mischievous and temperamental first wife, Elvira, whom only he can see.”
“As Elvira tries to disrupt Charles’s marriage to his current wife, Ruth, chaos ensues, leading to a series of supernatural and comedic complications,” Petillo said in an email. “With witty dialogue and sharp satire, the play explores themes of love, jealousy and the unpredictability of the afterlife. ”
Among the cast are Aliza Liranzo, Antonio Fagliarone, Jasmine Morris, RoseMarie Franklin, Mike Ford, Karen McErlean and Ella Ward.
“This play is fantastic!” said Medrow, who auditioned for the show but wasn’t chosen for the cast. “I think what intrigued me the most about the play was the synopsis. A sketchy novelist, his ex, and a medium… Genuinely, what could go wrong?… I enjoyed it so much I am planning on attending it, too.”
The first performance takes place 7 p.m. Friday, Valentine’s Day. Additional performances are 7 p.m. Feb. 15, 21, and 22. Matinees take place 2 p.m. Sundays, Feb. 16 and 23.
Tickets are $20. Seniors (62 and older) and veterans who attend the Feb. 16 show will be admitted for $15. BCC students who purchase their tickets in person will receive a $10 discount. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.brookdalecc.edu/pac or call/email our box office at [email protected] 732-224-2411.
