Blithe Spirit -By Noel Coward
Вставка
- Опубліковано 5 гру 2014
- Presented by the Savannah Lakes Village Playhouse
Produced and Directed by Fred Richter
Starring: Fred Richter, Kathy Godby, Kathy Becker, Kathie Marathon, Bill Adamson, Barbara Homen, Peggy Thomas. Performed on 11/21/14
Performed at the Savannah Lakes Village Recreation Center, McCormick, SC on November 21, 2014 - Розваги
Good camerawork. You can see the whole stage and the interaction and the dynamics between the actors. No edits. No close ups. Perfect.
Thanks
My high school did this show in three weeks. We did really well. I had a mental breakdown but you know, the show must go on.
Mood
Madame Arcati is such a fun role to play!!!
RandomnessLOL aaa I’m playing her now for class (act II scene II) it’s a two person performance project but the scene is so great
Excellent videography and set design. I love the make-up and costume for Elvira. That was perfect. Many productions don't even bother to make Elvira look like a supernatural spirit/ghost.
I love the actress playing Madame Arkati - she's talking to whichever member of the cast she's supposed to be addressing and not to the audience.
Very good production! Madame Arcati was great, I've played the role before and it was the most fun I have ever had on stage.
Excellent! Everything beautiful and acting superb!
This is one of my favorite plays. Thank you for presenting this wonderful production for all of us to see; it is the next best thing to being there and still exciting. You all did a wonderful job; I truly enjoyed this. The video recording is also top notch, very nicely captured.
JosephRGrych - thank you for your kind comments. So happy you enjoyed it
That is a beautiful set! We are performing Blithe Spirit in our little village hall somewhere in South of England in less than 2 weeks! We have found the line learning terrifying and I was so impressed by how word perfect your actors were. I am Madame Arcati and have picked up a few tips from your lovely lady! Great job guys - long live Am Dram!
Thanks Kaytie. Best of luck to you in your role and your show. Madame Arcati is a wonderful part.
This is the first time I've seen the original play. I have seen the film version which is not to my knowledge available anywhere online and well should be but at least that wonderful Noel Coward wit has someplace to haunt still here in the 21st century. I thank you.
BLITHE SPIRIT is available in a box set from Criterion dedicated to David Lean which also includes IN WHICH WE SERVE. Noël Coward not only wrote it, starred in it and co-directed it with David Lean.
Wonderful production!!!! The cast was terrific!!! Love from Vermont
Rebekah Low Thanks much Rebekah. Glad you liked it😊💕
Looking forward to watching this play thanks utube
Thank you so much for this entertaining production, it has helped me learn my lines as Madame Arcati! All you actors were superb, especially Madame A. Thanks again. Lainienuala
lainienuala Have you done the play now? How did it go?
In our production the curtain breaks were at most fifteen seconds. Charles had to do full costume changes in that timeframe. He'd walk backstage like a male stripper and then three women would jump him and literally yank off his clothes then throw more clothes onto him for the next scene. It was really an impressive bit of choreography. And the audience never noticed.
It's best for Americans NOT to try for an English accent! Use standard stage or standard American. Majored in theater history and literature at Emerson in Boston. Graduated in '66. At Emerson I played M. Dunn in Shaw's Heartbreak House. At Orono three or four years later I played Saganarelle in Moliere's Doctor in Spite of Himself and directed Pinter's The Collection. I haven't reviewed my resume in years, but I shant go on. Your production is well-paced and enjoyable.
+Gary Abbott
Very good point about the accents - most difficult in amateur community theatre, but we do our best to make it interesting. Thanks for your positive comments.
Gosh, so much text to learn by heart... Respect! TFS
le chat yes, it was most challenging but very rewarding.Will you be doing it?
Oh, certainly not, Fred! I leave that to the ones who possess the talent for that :)
le chat 😊
I'm auditioning for this play for my local theatre. Fingers crossed
Good luck
Who did you get?
congratulations ! from morelia michoacan mexico
Now I want a dry martini!
Also, I got to kick the table with my heel during the seances because I had the largest feet. Also I was seated in back so it would be least noticeable by the audience.
Playing Mme Arcati is a dream of mine. The role was written for a scene stealing biddy.
I played Dr Bradman in a college production. One night I realized my pants were split at the seam just prior to going on stage. I whispered this to the actress playing my wife and (because we were backstage in total darkness) she immediately groped me to ascertain the issue and then, after a bit of quick whispering, we went on stage and delivered our lines. The whole time everybody else noticed our blocking was off because she was shielding the audience from my split pants with her body. Plenty of communication via eye contact during the seance bit. The audience never noticed it at all. I credit Alicia for that, and as such I hold nothing against her for grabbing my ass in the dark. She did it for purely professional reasons. Seriously. And it all worked out.
Flushmaster1 oh my that’s embarrassing
Our Ruth caught mono and had to bow out just after one dress rehearsal. Her replacement managed to learn all the blocking in a single day with the director; she had a newspaper or magazine or such in hand for the first two of our five shows so she could read her lines verbatim from the script. After that she'd learned her lines and then managed to get really good at interacting with Elvira.
I was recently asked to fulfill the maid’s role for my local theater and i figured “that shouldn’t be too big of a role ill do it” then i watched this to see what i signed myself up for and OH BOY this should be FUN! 😁
I think that role was a lot of fun for our lady who did it and I bet you'll have fun too.
That's a really great set, well done!
Thanks much!
Hi, Fred, thank you for replying. Rehearsals were tough! Had flu and then tonsillitis, so terrible trouble learning lines, but your production certainly helped.! Our show itself was excellent, though I say it myself, sold out every night, and great reviews. What are you doing next? With best wishes, Lainie.
lainienuala That's great. I hope you're better now. Which part did you play?
We've done "Victims of the Ice Age" this spring and then a 2 person play "About Time". Now I'm choosing and casting 2 for fall.
Best wishes to you too.
3 Kathys!
Play by retired senior citizens for senior citizens. Good way of passing the free time.
Top notch , Fred ! Very enjoyable . Great to see that am - dram is just
as popular in the States as it is in UK.
Keep it up.....Private Lives next ?
Thanks much
1:04:51
Hey Fred I'm in love with this play. Every single thing about it is amazing. The lady who was Elvira was terrific ❤️ I've my show coming up in two days and I'm doing the role of Elvira. Could you please help me regarding how I should be portraying it? Please please please? It would be of a great help.
Thanks Kaushani, I am glad you liked our production and I wish you the very best in doing your part and loving every minute of it. The best suggestion I can give you is to look at our play again and watch very closely as Kathy portrays the part of Elvira. She did a really great job.It is for sure a wonderful play and although very difficult, we loved doing it. I’m sure you will too. I would suggest putting all the emotion you possibly can into the park, perhaps a bit more meanness in some scenes.
@UCXRUtIg3dzipvQUv1QTVyAw I understand what you are saying. Also is there any comic element in Elvira's character? And if there is how and where exactly should that be portrayed? Also Madam Kathy was amazing and I'm already a fan of her. Could you please convey this to her as well? ☺️☺️
Kaushani Sarkar There’s definitely a comic element in Elviras part and it especially comes up when she is being a trickster and upsetting Ruth by frightening her. But One of the greatest parts of this play in my opinion is the movement back-and-forth between scary, angry, funny, serious, and every other possible emotion and I think there is some of that in just about every park including Alvera
That should have been “part” and “Elvira” of course. Dictation is fast but sometimes not too accurate 😊
Thank you so much again Sir! This information was of great help. I would let you know how it goes on the final day.
Fred, what advice would you give someone for memorization? I was just cast as Charles yesterday (June 9) and we open July 17. I must confess I'm a bit overwhelmed. This is my first starring role. I've always played supporting characters. Great job in your production. That must have been quite a task to be both director and actor for you!
Tyler, So sorry that I missed replying to you a month ago. UA-cam didn't forward your message to me and I just now discovered it. Probably too late to make any suggestions about learning lines, sorry, but the main key is "becoming" the character for a good period of time before the show. I also use an App called "Line Learner". - very helpful.
I wish you the very best in your show- "break a leg". And I'd love to hear from you about your successful work.
Best, Fred
Thanks, Fred! We opened on Friday and continue on Wednesday. Great responses so far. The show has been a lot of fun. The accent has been as stressful as the line learning, in my opinion. Very enjoyable show, indeed.
Tyler Bryant Glad it's going well, Tyler.
Must say I am interested to know why you decided to both direct and star in the show. Not sure how you expected to be able to direct it successfully when you are on stage for all but a handful of pages.
+Proscenium
Well, I happen to know a great many stage and screen directors who act as well, and in lead parts and do quite well with the process, not to mention how famous they are.
My choice is based on many prior successes and the fact that I am motivated to work very hard and do a good job. Our plays have been quite successful for an amateur community theatre. By the way, I use frequent videos of rehearsals to direct myself and see the whole picture from offstage- very helpful. I'm really quite proud of this particular show and I think perhaps our nearly 9,000 views speaks something of that. My point is that it works, you just have to work harder.
+Fred Richter Thanks for taking the trouble to respond. There is a distinct difference between directing oneself on stage and on film.
I have viewed all the productions on youtube in preparation for the production I am currently directing and found the one by Coe College to be one of the best. The Poulner Players version was also good but follows the traditional version of Charles. The Coe College version was the only one that gave Charles a distinctive personality. My vision for Charles draws more strongly on his being a mystery writer and I see him as a far more playful character particularly when dealing with Ruth. This gives him far more emotional scope for when he is confronted with two wives.
Elvira died comparatively young. Compared to...?
+Gary Abbott
I'm afraid you'll have to ask Noel Coward.
I'm sure she is watching you@@fredrichter1940
Compared to the age when people of 1940s would likely have died. If the average age of woman at that time was 70, then Elvira might have been 35 when she passed.
This actor makes Mr. Condomine more likable for me. The first time I saw this play, the character annoyed me. This guy reminds me of my boyfriend who is so sweet to me and just as witty.
45:21 lmao what