BLITHE SPIRIT Continues at ActorsNET

ActorsNET will continue its 29th Season with BLITHE SPIRIT, Noël Coward's iconic supernatural comedy, running through February 15 at the Heritage Center Theatre in Morrisville.

When cantankerous novelist Charles Condomine hosts a séance one fateful evening as research for his next novel, he expects little more than polite parlor entertainment. Instead, the “happy medium” accidentally summons the ghost of Charles' first wife, Elvira - vibrant, mischievous, and more than eager to disrupt his comfortable life with his current wife, Ruth. As jealousy flares and Coward's razor-sharp wit takes flight, an unfortunate accident brings yet another spirit into the mix, leaving Charles quite literally haunted by his past. What follows is a deliciously chaotic comedy of manners filled with spectral surprises and marital mayhem.

First performed in 1941, BLITHE SPIRIT remains one of Noël Coward's most enduring and beloved comedies, offering timeless humor, sparkling dialogue, and a mischievous reminder that the past has a way of lingering - sometimes quite literally.

Directed by Cat Milone and Matt Duchnowski (the same team behind ActorsNET's gripping production of “Dangerous Corner” last season), BLITHE SPIRIT balances Coward's sophisticated dialogue with playful theatrical invention. This production features a variety of cleverly crafted special effects, bringing ghosts to life as objects misbehave, spirits glide through the room, and supernatural chaos unfolds right before the audience's eyes.

Co-Director Cat Milone says, “The challenge with producing a classic comedy like this is making it feel fresh and exciting to audiences who have seen this oft-produced play on multiple occasions at other theatres. Particularly when the author gives away the surprise reveal right there in the title! Our approach to that unique challenge was to try to add technical elements the likes of which our audience, certainly, and likely other audiences have never seen within this story before.”

Co-Director Matt Duchnowski adds, “we've added visual and auditory elements that are utterly unique to this production and really had fun employing modern tech to produce this classical comedy.”

Milone concludes, “It's our way of making this very often produced show that has enjoyed nearly a century's worth of previous productions feel fresh and exciting to our audience, and we're confident they're going to love what we've come up with to keep them on their toes!”

The show features Nicholas Pecht as Charles Condomine, Morgan Petronis as Ruth Condomine, Jenna “Jay” Moschella as Elvira Condomine, Alyssa Capel as Edith, Susan Fowler as Madame Arcati, Alair Diremigio as Dr. George Bradman, and Sarah Jane Zawodniak as Mrs. Violet Bradman.

The production is stage managed and produced by Karolina Matyka, with Theresa Vassallo serving as Assistant Producer. Lighting design is by Andrena Wishnie, enhancing both the elegance of the living world and the mischief of the beyond.