Stratford High School Drama Society presents Blithe Spirit.

Stratford High School Drama Society presents Blithe Spirit.

Show on stage Friday, Nov.18 (7:30 p.m.) and Saturday, Nov. 19 (2:30 and 7:30 p.m.)

The Stratford Drama Society presents Blithe Spirit, a comic play by Noel Coward, described by the author as "an improbable farce in three acts " on the SHS stage this weekend. All seats are $14. To order tickets, visit https://www.stratfordk12.org/o... or https://sites.google.com/strat... .

SHS Senior Mackenzie Snyder (who plays Ruth) said “I made a lot of life-long friends through the Drama Society and it’s an honor to be a part of it. I am especially thrilled to be president of the club this year and to be in Blithe Spirit.”

Also a Senior, Nick Ferrari (who plays Charles) added “The best part of drama society is getting to work together and sharing so many amazing experiences together.”

In the play, Charles Condomine (Nicholas Ferrari) is a successful novelist. At the start of the play, he and his second wife, Ruth (Mackenzie Snyder), discuss his first wife, Elvira (Kate Miller), who died young, seven years earlier. Among the Condomines' dinner guests that evening is an eccentric medium, Madame Arcati (Lauren Eyerman for Fri/Sat night, Margaret Schumann for Sat. matinee), whom Charles has invited in the hope of learning about the occult for a story he is writing. He has arranged for her to conduct a séance after dinner. During the séance, unbeknownst to all, she inadvertently attracts the ghost of Elvira who can only be seen and heard by Charles.

The story takes a turn when Elvira appears and joins the Condomine household, much to Ruth’s dismay, especially since she cannot see or hear her. As one would imagine, her presence wreaks havoc on the marriage of Ruth and Charles. This results in additional visits from the medium as they make numerous attempts to send Elvira back to wherever she came from. To find out what twists happen next, come to one of the performances this weekend! You won’t be disappointed — it’s quite a story!!

The play was first seen in the West End in 1941 and ran for 1,997 performances, a new record for a non-musical play in London. It also did well on Broadway later that year, running for 657 performances. The play was adapted for the cinema in 1945; a second film version followed in 2020. It continues to be revived in the West End, on Broadway and elsewhere.

In addition to those listed above, the other characters you will see on stage are: Dr. Bradman (Alex Bilan for Fri/Sat night and Sebastian Rivera for Sat. matinee), Mrs. Bradman (Kathnie Fabre) and Edith (Amelie McCool). The show is co-produced by Kathleen Murphy and Jeff Leinen. Staging is by Kathleen Murphy.

“Drama Society has always meant a lot to me and I’m lucky to be performing with such a talented cast,” said Alex Bilan.

Assistant Stage Crew manager David Pacheco agreed: You make new friends and learn new skills when working backstage. You see behind the scenes of a show, and work together to put on a great production.”

Shows are Friday, November 18th at 7:30PM and Saturday, November 19th at 2:30PM and 7:30PM. All seats are $14. To order tickets, visit https://www.stratfordk12.org/o/shs or https://sites.google.com/stratk12.org/stratforddrama/home