Comedic play “Blithe Spirit” premiers at Messiah College
March 20th, 2008
GRANTHAM, Pa. (March 20, 2008) — Guest director Jon Liebetrau brings Noel Coward’s 1941 comic play, “Blithe Spirit,” to premier at Messiah College. The play centers on the humorous problems of a British novelist, who enlists a medium’s services to help him develop more material for his writing. “Blithe Spirit” shows at 8 p.m. on April 10–12 and 14–15 with a matinee performance at 2 p.m. on April 12. Each performance will be in Miller Auditorium, located in the Climenhaga Fine Arts Center on the college’s Grantham campus. Tickets cost $10 and may be purchased through the Messiah College ticket office at (717) 691-6036.
About “Blithe Spirit”
Coward’s play premiered in Britain to swift and widespread popularity. In it, socialite and novelist Charles Condomine, along with his second wife Ruth, hire Madame Arcati to hold a séance to call Charles’ first wife (Elvira) back from the grave. Far from giving the literary assistance Charles hoped for, Elvira soon makes his life a living misery with her frantic attempts to disrupt his current marriage.
In 1945, Coward adapted the play into film, with the help of director David Lean. The popularity of both play and film spurred a 1964 Broadway adaptation, which ran for over 300 successful performances. “Blithe Spirit” has also made it onto American television in a 1956 production starring Coward himself, and into British radio and television.
About guest director Jon Liebetrau
Liebetrau has directed and taught theatre at Dickinson College, Randolph-Macon, Hollins University, Virginia Tech, Gettysburg College, Shippensburg University and Brandeis University. His most recent production, “The Diary of Anne Frank,” was presented at the Open Stage in Harrisburg. As a member of Actor’s Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild, Liebetrau has himself performed on stages from coast to coast.
About Messiah College
Messiah College, a private Christian college of the liberal and applied arts and sciences, enrolls 2,800 undergraduate students in 55 majors. Established in 1909, the primary campus is located in Grantham, Pa., near the state capital of Harrisburg. A satellite campus affiliated with Temple University is located in Philadelphia.